Marrakech – A rumor claiming that Rabat authorities plan to rename Annakhil Avenue after US President Donald Trump has been circulating widely on social media and in some Moroccan news outlets. The story first appeared on Maghreb Intelligence before spreading rapidly across various platforms.
According to converging sources who spoke with several Moroccan media outlets, there has been no official confirmation of this decision. Multiple members of Rabat’s municipal council have explicitly denied receiving any formal proposal to rename the prominent boulevard in the upscale Hay Riad district.
The rumored name change was reportedly intended as a symbolic gesture of gratitude for Trump’s role in the United Nations Security Council’s recent adoption of Resolution 2797.
This resolution, passed on October 31, reinforced Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces and endorsed the Moroccan autonomy plan as the basis for definitively resolving the Western Sahara dispute.
Other sources also cited the long-standing history of Moroccan-American relations, dating back to 1777, when Morocco became the first country to recognize the independence of the US. The year 2027 would thus mark 250 years of diplomatic ties – making them among the oldest in US foreign relations.
Sources within Rabat’s municipal council said that no official correspondence on the matter has been received, noting that if such a proposal truly exists, it must first be formally communicated and then examined in an upcoming session before any vote or decision can take place.
Anas Dahmouni, president of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) group in the Rabat city council, was categorical when contacted by Maroc Diplomatique: “I have received no information about this at the municipal council. I have not received any summons to an extraordinary session with an agenda including changing the name of Annakhil Avenue.”
Similar statements came from Farouk Mahdaoui, a council member representing the Democratic Left Federation (FGD), who confirmed that while he had heard the rumor, any avenue name change would require formal submission to and approval by the municipal council.
The speculation about renaming the boulevard stems from Trump’s consistent backing for Morocco regarding the Western Sahara, especially given that the US was the penholder of the recent UN resolution and played a key role in rallying support for it among voting members.
His administration first recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the region in December 2020, during his first presidential term, which subsequently led other Western powers to adopt similar positions.
Most recently, the American proposal adopted by the Security Council, with 11 members voting in favor and three abstaining (Russia, China, and Pakistan), has been viewed as a diplomatic victory for Morocco. Notably, Algeria did not participate in the vote.
Annakhil Avenue is one of the most prominent thoroughfares in Rabat, cutting through the prestigious Hay Riad neighborhood. The spacious, tree-lined boulevard represents an important axis in the capital’s urban development and connects several key residential and administrative areas.
For now, however, the story remains confined to social media speculation, with no official decision having been announced by either the municipal council presidency or the Ministry of Interior.
