فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The African Lion 2025 exercise is the largest joint military exercise in Africa, enhancing cooperation between the United States, Morocco, and regional partners. With over 10,000 troops from 40 countries, including seven NATO nations, this exercise reflects its strategic importance.
Background
The African Lion exercise, which began in 2004, is the most prominent annual military exercise in Africa, led by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). In 2025, the exercise celebrated its 20th anniversary, making it the largest ever, with over 10,000 troops from more than 40 countries, including seven NATO nations. It focuses on enhancing military cooperation and developing capabilities to address security challenges.
https://web.facebook.com/USEmbassyMorocco/posts/pfbid02MdCXjAzv11bhoGvLuvMtnjqDoWhNRjJA1ogmqQFDLcoZkUcjydKdUHN89BySDVa6lMorocco’s Role and Partners
Morocco plays a central role as a primary host, along with Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia. This role reflects Morocco’s status as a stable regional power and enhances its strategic partnership with the United States. The exercise includes field training and simulations of scenarios such as counter-terrorism and disaster response.
Objectives and Impact
The exercise aims to enhance military readiness, combat common threats such as trafficking, and support regional stability. It also includes humanitarian training to provide assistance in crises, enhancing regional capabilities.
Detailed Notes on the Exercise
The African Lion 2025 exercise represents a turning point in military cooperation between the United States, Morocco, and regional partners, being the largest of its kind in African military exercise history. The exercise officially kicked off on April 14, 2025, in Tunisia, with activities starting in Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco in May. Over 10,000 troops from more than 40 countries, including seven NATO nations, participate, reflecting the international and strategic nature of this event.
History and Significance
The African Lion exercise began in 2004 and is a symbol of military cooperation between the United States and Morocco, with Morocco hosting it primarily. In 2025, the exercise celebrated its 20th anniversary, highlighting its continuity and importance in enhancing security and stability in Africa. It aims to improve military readiness, develop common strategies to address threats such as terrorism and transnational crime, and enhance crisis management capabilities.
Participants and Activities
The exercise involves forces from countries such as Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, and others, with participation from European and African countries. Activities include field training, simulation operations, humanitarian relief training, and experience sharing in areas such as cybersecurity and special operations. In the current version, activities included multi-domain training encompassing land, air, sea, space, and cyber, enhancing readiness to respond to crises.
Morocco’s Role and Logistics
Morocco occupies a central position as a primary host, having hosted a significant part of the exercise, thanks to its strategic location and diverse terrain, which provides an ideal environment for training. This role reflects the great trust in the Kingdom of Morocco as a stable regional power and enhances its status as a key ally outside NATO. Morocco also contributes to shaping the exercise’s objectives and implementation, strengthening its partnership with the United States.
Strategic Objectives and Regional Impact
The exercise aims to achieve a set of strategic objectives, which can be summarized as follows:
- Enhance military readiness
- Combat common threats
- Support regional stability
- Enhance humanitarian capabilities
The exercise contributes to regional stability by building a strong security network through cooperation between African countries and provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation among participating nations.
Challenges and Future Expectations
Despite the successes achieved by the exercise, it faces challenges such as the need for greater coordination among participating countries and ensuring the sustainability of the benefits resulting from the training. It also raises questions about its impact on the national sovereignty of some African countries, requiring a balanced approach that respects the specifics of each country. As security challenges evolve, the exercise is expected to expand to include new areas such as cybersecurity and counter-hybrid threats, strengthening partnerships with other African countries.
Notable Quotes
Major General Andrew C. Rohling, Commander of the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, stated, “African Lion 2025 is the largest multinational exercise in Africa, enhancing strategic readiness and cooperation with our African partners to respond to threats in a multi-domain environment.”
Colonel Massamba Thiam, Chief of Operations of the Senegalese Army, noted that “the exercise aims to enhance security cooperation between the United States and its African partners to address transnational threats.”
