The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has made public this Sunday the project of a great highway that will bear his name and that will link the cities of Tiznit and Dakhla, the latter located in the occupied area of Western Sahara.
The former Spanish colony came under Moroccan control in 1975, despite the armed opposition of the Polisario Front. The conflict lasted until 1991, when both parties agreed to a ceasefire with the intention of organizing a referendum on self-determination. However, disagreements over the preparation of the census and the possible participation of Moroccan settlers have prevented the holding of the consultation to this day.
The recent support of the governments of Spain and France for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco dealt the final blow to Sahrawi aspirations. The Polisario Front has labeled this diplomatic shift as a betrayal and emphasizes that Spain remains "de iure" the administering power of Western Sahara.
Trump has firmly backed the Moroccan proposal since, at the end of 2020 and shortly before concluding his first term, he recognized Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The route of the new highway, with an estimated budget of about 880 million euros, will cover around 1,000 kilometers along the Atlantic coast and will include towns such as Laayoune, also in the part of Western Sahara controlled by Morocco. The southernmost end, in Dakhla, will connect with the macro-project of the Atlantic Port of the city, currently under construction and whose commissioning is expected for 2028.
In his statement, Trump closed his message with a thank you to the Moroccan monarch: "Thanks to the very respected Mohamed VI, King of Morocco. What a great honor. I hope to travel this great road someday. I hope it is soon," he concluded.