A major highway running straight through disputed Western Sahara will now bear the name of Donald Trump, and the US President says he cannot wait to drive it.

Morocco has officially named a huge strategic highway after US President Donald Trump, and it is all about Western Sahara.

Cbinews.tv reports that the confirmation came in a personal letter from King Mohammed VI to President Trump, which has now been published by Morocco's state press agency.

This came days after Trump had already thanked the King for the honour in a social media post, even though there had been no official announcement from Rabat at the time.

In the letter, dated 2 July but published over the weekend, the King described the renaming as a personal expression of my high regard for the President.

The road in question is the former Tiznit Dakhla highway. The 1,055km stretch is described by the monarch as a strategic axis linking the north and south of Morocco.

It is hugely significant because it runs into Western Sahara, a territory Morocco occupies and claims as its southern provinces, but which is partly controlled by the Polisario Front, an armed group seeking independence for the local Sahrawi people.

The King made clear why Trump was being honoured. He praised what he called the President's historic recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara, adding that it would forever be etched in the memory of Moroccans, from generation to generation.

He added that although relations have always been rooted in close friendship and constant loyalty, they have never been as vigorous and fruitful as during your two presidential terms.

As reported by cbinews.tv, the context goes back to 2020. During his first term, President Trump recognised Morocco's claim over the disputed region as part of a deal that saw Morocco normalise relations with Israel.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is considered a non-self-governing territory by the UN and has been at the centre of one of Africa's longest conflicts for five decades.

The UN has long pushed for a referendum so the indigenous people can decide their future, but that vote has never happened. While the African Union recognises Western Sahara's independence, European governments including the UK and Spain have recently backed Morocco's plan to grant autonomy but not full independence.

In his Truth Social post last week, Trump shared a video about the road, noting it cost nearly 1 billion dollars, about 740 million pounds, to build, and wrote: I look forward to travelling the entire length of this great highway someday, hopefully soon!

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