Morocco names new highway in occupied Western Sahara after Donald Trump

Morocco has named a new highway in the occupied Western Sahara after US President Donald Trump, prompting a message of gratitude from the US leader.

The President Donald J Trump Highway is 1,055km long and connects Tiznit in western Morocco with the city of Dakhla in the Western Sahara.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump praised Morocco for the move and posted a video boasting the $1bn invested in the new road.

"Thank you to Highly Respected Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco — Such a Great Honor! I look forward to traveling the entire length of this Great Highway someday, hopefully soon! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote.

Occupied by Morocco since 1975, the Western Sahara has been claimed by native Sahrawis, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front has fought against the Moroccan state for independence for decades.

Hundreds of thousands of Sahrawi refugees live in camps across the border in southwestern Algeria, while independence campaigners in Western Sahara have faced repeated repression by Moroccan authorities.

In 2020, the US agreed to accept Morocco's sovereignty over the territory in exchange for the kingdom recognising the State of Israel, which has also recognised Morocco's rule over Western Sahara.

Construction of the new highway began in 2015. It runs almost the entire length of Western Sahara from north to south, passing through the capital, Laayoune.

Although few countries recognise Morocco's claim to the occupied region, often described as Africa's last colony, foreign investment in Western Sahara has steadily increased.

Earlier this month, a number of rights groups and Sahrawi activists called for a boycott of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey as parts of it were filmed in the Western Sahara without the consent of the native population.