The decision was confirmed by King Mohammed VI and is related to the US recognition of Moroccan claims to Western Sahara in 2020. Morocco has named a key h…
The decision was confirmed by King Mohammed VI and is related to the US recognition of Moroccan claims to Western Sahara in 2020.
Morocco has named a key highway in the country after US President Donald Trump, the BBC reported.
Trump himself announced the news on social networks a few days ago. The information was also confirmed by a letter from Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, in which the ruler indicated that the renaming of the highway was an expression of deep respect.
The Tiznit-Dakhla highway enters the territory of Western Sahara – a region most of which is occupied by Morocco, with the country claiming sovereignty over it. However, part of the territory is controlled by the Polisario Front – an armed group fighting for the independence of the local Sahrawi population.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, has been the subject of a dispute for five decades in one of the longest-running conflicts in Africa. The UN has consistently called for a resolution to the dispute, including through a referendum, but the region’s indigenous people have never been given a chance to vote on their future.
The African Union recognizes the independence of Western Sahara.
In 2020, during the first term of the Donald Trump administration, the US recognized Morocco’s claims to the disputed region as part of an agreement in which Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
However, few people know that the oldest continuous peace treaty of the US is the Treaty of Amity between the United States and Morocco of 1787.
During the War of Independence (1775–1783), the Sultan of Morocco, Sidi Muhammad ben Abdallah, played a key role for the US:
In 1777, he declared that American merchant ships were welcome in Moroccan ports.
In doing so, Morocco became the first country in the world to officially recognize the independence of the US.
The Sultan also offered to send resources and provisions to George Washington’s army. However, he did not send physical troops or regiments to American soil.
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Amity of 1787 is a highly significant document that remains in history as the longest continuous peace treaty between the United States and a foreign country. Signed at a time when the new American nation was vulnerable and lacked a strong navy, this alliance provided vital protection for American trade in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Historical context and negotiations
The Sultan’s Initiative: In December 1777, the Sultan of Morocco, Sidi Muhammad ben Abdallah, issued a proclamation opening his ports to American ships, making Morocco the first country to recognize the independence of the United States.
The American Envoys: The negotiations were led by two of the most famous Founding Fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (in Paris) and John Adams (in London).
The Mediator: Since Jefferson and Adams could not travel to Marrakesh in person, they sent American diplomat Thomas Barclay, who negotiated the details with the Sultan.
Signing and Ratification: The treaty was signed by the Sultan in June 1786, and in January 1787 by Jefferson and Adams. The Continental Congress ratified it on July 18, 1787.
Key provisions of the treaty
Protection from pirates: At this time, Barbary pirates from North Africa were regularly capturing American ships and taking their crews hostage. The treaty guaranteed that Moroccan ships would not attack Americans.
Assistance at sea: Morocco pledged to protect American ships in its waters, provide them with provisions, and assist in the release of Americans captured by other Barbary states.
Trade status: The United States was granted “most-favored-nation” status, allowing free trade in Moroccan ports with minimal tariffs.
Religious tolerance: The treaty guaranteed complete safety and freedom for Christian American citizens living in or traveling to Morocco.
Legacy and Significance
The George Washington Letter: In December 1789, the first President of the United States, George Washington, sent an official letter to the Sultan, thanking him for his friendship and expressing his hope that the treaty would preserve peace between the two countries forever.
Renewal: The treaty was concluded for a period of 50 years, and in 1836 it was renewed under exactly the same terms and remains in force to this day.
Tangier: As a symbol of this friendship, in 1821 the Sultan gifted the United States a building in the city of Tangier. It served as the American diplomatic mission for 140 years and is today the only National Historic Landmark of the United States located on foreign soil.
In his famous letter of December 1, 1789, President George Washington expressed his deep gratitude to the Sultan of Morocco, Sidi Muhammad ben Abdallah, for his friendship and protection of the new American nation. The letter was written shortly after the US Constitution came into force and Washington took office as the first American president.
This letter is extremely diplomatic, full of respect and pursues three main purposes:
1. Apology for the delay and explanation of the political changes
Washington begins the letter with a sincere apology for the delay in the United States’ official response to the Sultan. He explains this by the large-scale political reorganization in America:
Up until this point, the United States had been governed by a weak central authority (the Continental Congress).
Washington informs the Sultan that the Americans have finally created a new, strong and unified government with the adoption of the new Constitution.
He announces that he has been elected the first president and now personally takes over the management of state affairs.
2. Gratitude for the Treaty of Friendship
Washington explicitly emphasizes how highly the American people appreciate the Sultan’s noble actions:
He thanks Morocco for being one of the first nations to recognize the independence of the United States.
He expressed appreciation for the Treaty of 1787 and for the Sultan’s protection of American merchant ships from the Barbary pirates.
Washington called the Sultan’s actions an example of “justice and benevolence” that had won the respect and affection of the United States.
3. Honesty about the lack of money and resources
In a very frank and important part of the letter, Washington admitted that the United States was economically exhausted after the long War of Independence against Britain:
He explained that his country did not yet have the wealth or a strong navy to send valuable gifts or make grand gestures in return for Moroccan friendship.
The President assured the Sultan that although the United States was poor at this time, it was rich in “gratitude and honesty” and would strictly honor the commitments it had made.
Conclusion and Prayer for Peace
At the end of the letter, Washington gave the Sultan a blessing that was consistent with his faith. He prayed to “God Almighty” (Al Nasser) to grant the Sultan health, long life, a glorious reign, and peace for his empire. He concluded with the words:
“…that the New Empire of America may be added to the number of your most faithful friends.”
This letter solidified the foundations of Moroccan-American relations.
At the end of the 19th century, relations between the United States and Morocco entered a new, much more complex stage. This was the period of the so-called “New Imperialism,” in which the European colonial powers (especially France, Spain, and Great Britain) began to aggressively challenge each other for influence over Morocco, and the weakened Sultanate sought a counterweight.
The United States, which at that time was rapidly becoming a global economic power, changed its approach from a purely diplomatic alliance to economic penetration and participation in international colonial distribution.
Here are the key moments from this period:
1. The Madrid Conference of 1880
This event marked the official entry of the United States into the great European diplomatic game for Morocco.
The Madrid Conference was convened to settle the issue of the so-called “protection system” in Morocco (in which European countries granted immunity to local Moroccan citizens, removing them from the jurisdiction of the sultan and the tax system).
The United States sent an official representative and signed the Madrid Convention. Thus, for the first time, America acted together with the European colonial powers regarding North Africa, securing the same privileges and economic rights in Morocco as France and Britain had.
2. The Sultan seeks American support against Europe
Seeing how France and Spain were tightening the noose around his country, the Sultan of Morocco (especially Hassan I, who ruled until 1894) tried to use the United States as a diplomatic shield.
The Moroccan government considered the United States a “neutral” power, since, unlike the Europeans, the Americans had no direct territorial (colonial) appetites in Africa at that time.
The Sultan made attempts to attract American capital, buy modern weapons from the United States, and even invited American engineers to modernize the country, hoping that the American presence would deter a French or Spanish invasion.
3. Commercial expansion and economic interests
At the end of the 19th century, American interest in Morocco became primarily commercial. The United States began to export huge quantities of oil (gas for lighting), cotton goods, sugar, and iron to the Moroccan market. American consuls in Tangier, Mogador (now Essaouira), and Casablanca actively defended the interests of American merchants and insisted on an “Open Door” policy – i.e. equal access to trade in Morocco without a European monopoly.
The United States officially recognized the restoration of Moroccan independence on March 7, 1956. This occurred through an official statement from the U.S. Department of State, followed by a congratulatory letter from President Dwight Eisenhower to Sultan Mohammed V, sent just five days after France and Morocco signed the joint declaration ending the protectorate (March 2, 1956), followed by:
Upgrading diplomatic status: On October 6, 1956, the historic American Legation in Tangier was officially elevated to the rank of U.S. Embassy, and the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Cavendish Cannon presented his credentials to the Sultan.
The King’s First Visit: In November 1957, the Sultan (now taking the title of King Mohammed V) made his first official state visit to the United States at the invitation of President Eisenhower, which finally cemented the renewed alliance.
Illustrative photo: pexels-abduljaleel-tijjani-muhammad-2152905037-35786088
