Morocco names highway after Trump, Spain protests Sahara move
The express route Tiznit-Dakhla, named after Donald Trump, is already drawing fierce criticism in Spain. A Spanish media outlet sees it as a diplomatic operation designed to consolidate American support for Morocco on the Sahara.
Spanning 1,055 kilometers, the axis connects Tiznit to Dakhla via Laâyoune. The project, estimated at nearly one billion dollars, is presented as strategic infrastructure linking the southern provinces to the rest of the Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa.
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Donald Trump publicly thanked King Mohammed VI for this "immense honor" and expressed his wish to travel the entire road one day.
But this decision is fiercely attacked by El Independiente. The Spanish media describes it as a maneuver aimed at flattering the American president and recalling the alliance forged around the Sahara.
A tribute transformed into a trial of Morocco
The pro-Polisario newspaper notably gives voice to Roberto Cantoni, member of Western Sahara Resource Watch. He believes that the choice of name is not intended to attract more American companies, but to personally reassure Donald Trump.
The American president had recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara in 2020. Since then, Washington has maintained its support for the Moroccan autonomy proposal.
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El Independiente even evokes the rivalry between Morocco and Spain to host the 2030 World Cup final. However, no concrete evidence allows establishing a link between the name given to the road and the choice of the future final stadium.
