Latest news with #AfricanLion
Morocco World
12-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
AFRICOM Chief Rules Out Move to Morocco, Citing Budgetary Reasons
Rabat – General Michael Langley, the head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), said this week that the idea of relocating the command's headquarters from Germany to Morocco is not under consideration, primarily due to budgetary reasons. Langley made the remarks in response to a question from Congressman Abe Hamadeh before the US House Military Affairs Committee. 'I know you have a lot of positive things to say about Morocco, and I do as well, as they were the first country to recognize the United States' independence, and it seems like their alliance is increasing with us,' the congressman said. He then asked whether the US command seeks to relocate its headquarters from Germany to Morocco. In response, Langley stressed that the operational benefit of moving to Morocco would not outweigh the financial cost. 'The benefit operationally of us being able to operate from Stuttgard headquarters onto it does not benefit in an amount the cost of moving to headquarters would be a big dent for our budget,' the AFRICOM chief said. He added that it is more advantageous for AFRICOM to consider the overall cost. 'We would not benefit from moving our headquarters onto the African continent,' Langley stated. He concluded his remarks by stressing the importance of Morocco as a 'great partner,' noting that what the North African country does in exporting security is tremendous. In May, Morocco hosted the 21st edition of the African Lion military exercise, the largest in Africa. The event brought together military representatives from the US and several other countries, taking part in military exercises against security threats, including terrorism. US officials have consistently described Morocco as a strategic ally in countering security threats across the region and beyond. In March, Langley emphasized the importance of Morocco as a strategic partner, noting that African armies are viewing Rabat as a model. 'Morocco is a reference in defense and stability,' he said, expressing confidence that the partnership between the two countries will continue to grow and contribute to the continent's stability and security. Throughout the years, the US remained the largest exporter of arms to Morocco with 69% of the global imports, followed by France and Israel. In light of these close military ties, several lobbyists have been campaigning against Morocco, which has been hosting the maneuver for 21 years now. Former republican senator James Inhofe was among the most staunch supporters of Polisario in Washington, continuously maneuvering against Morocco. 'I have pushed [the Pentagon] to look at alternative locations for the annual African Lion military exercise that's been hosted in Morocco previously,' news website Defense News recently quoted Inhofe as saying at a hearing in 2022. 'I'm pleased that [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] is in agreement with me on this issue.' Nonetheless, AFRICOM officials have long defended Morocco's hosting of the exercise, acknowledging that it will be difficult to find an African country able to replicate what Morocco has been able to do over the years as the host of the African Lion. Tags: AFRICOMrelations between the US and Morocco
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'We're keeping a good eye': Top US general warns of African terror groups attack on American homeland
Gen. Michael Langley, USMC, Commander, US Africa Command, center, and Major General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of Moroccan Royal Armed Forces, attend the 21st edition of the African Lion military exercise, in Tantan, south of Agadir, Morocco. (Pic credit: AP) A senior US military leader issued a grave warning on Thursday about the growing threat of African terror networks, saying the risk of attacks reaching American shores is increasing as extremist groups expand and evolve across the continent. General Michael Langley, head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), called the Sahel region the new "epicentre of terrorism on the globe," citing explosive growth in the size and reach of jihadist groups operating there. " The Sahel is now the flashpoint of prolonged conflict and growing instability," Langley told reporters. 'We're keeping a good eye on this because they could have the capacity to attack the homeland.' Terrorist expansion across West Africa Langley highlighted two Al-Qaeda-linked organisations that have rapidly multiplied in strength and geographic reach over the past three years. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is now three times larger than it was in 2022, with operations spanning Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), another Al-Qaeda affiliate, has grown fourfold, with most of its expansion in Burkina Faso. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo These groups, Langley said, are actively seeking access to West Africa's coastline, a strategic move that could enable them to broaden revenue streams through smuggling, arms trafficking, and human trafficking, while also enhancing their operational reach. 'If they gain access to the vast coastline, they can diversify their revenue streams and evolve their tactics, more easily exporting terrorism to American shores,' he said. US response and global competition In response to the intensifying threat, US has ramped up its counterterrorism operations. Over the weekend, American forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia against al-Shabab, another Al-Qaeda-linked group that, along with Isis, has plagued the East African nation for decades. Langley emphasised that combating terrorism in Africa is not only a matter of security but also of geopolitical strategy, as both China and Russia move aggressively to establish military partnerships and influence across the continent. 'There is increasing concern about the number of African soldiers going to Beijing for military training,' Langley said. 'They're trying to replicate what we do best in our [US International Military Education and Training] program.' He warned that Chinese and Russian efforts to build security alliances in Africa may undermine US influence and allow adversaries to gain a stronger foothold in a region already destabilised by extremism. A race against time Langley's remarks come amid heightened urgency to stabilise regions like the Sahel, where years of violence, coups, and insurgency have weakened governments and created fertile ground for terror recruitment. The US military withdrew from Niger last year, one of several setbacks that have complicated efforts to contain terrorist groups. As AFRICOM works to re-establish partnerships and monitor terror hotspots, Langley stressed that the fight to contain extremist threats in Africa is directly tied to the security of the United States. 'This isn't just Africa's problem,' he said. 'It's a global one — and we have to act now before these groups gain the power to strike far beyond the borders of the continent.'
Ya Biladi
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
African Lion 2025 wraps up with Morocco at the heart of multinational security
The 21st edition of the African Lion 2025 military exercise has concluded this week after mobilizing over 10,000 troops from 50+ nations across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, announces a press release. For the first time, the exercise integrated defensive cyber operations and expanded CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) scenarios, alongside joint academic training. U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, praised Morocco's role: «I want to thank Morocco for hosting African Lion and helping strengthen our collective security through rigorous, multinational training». Highlighting Morocco's strategic importance, U.S. Embassy Chargée d'Affaires Aimee Cutrona said, «As a major non-NATO ally and historic security partner, Morocco plays a pivotal role in promoting regional stability». The exercise featured HIMARS fire missions, airborne and amphibious operations, maritime interdiction, and humanitarian civic assistance programs that treated over 1,200 patients in rural areas. «Our medical personnel built readiness by executing critical war-time skills», noted U.S. Army Col. Kelley Togiola. Maj. Gen. Andrew Gainey, Commanding General of SETAF-AF, summed up AL25's impact: «African Lion 25 was a clear demonstration of how we project power, build trust, and deliver results… That's what readiness looks like—and that's what deterrence demands».
American Military News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
US military urges African allies to increase ‘burden sharing'
Under President Donald Trump's administration, the U.S. military is urging its allies in Africa to increase 'independent operations' and 'burden sharing.' According to The Associated Press, the U.S. military's call for its African allies to be less reliant on the United States and become more independent represents a shift from the U.S. military's traditional emphasis on addressing the underlying causes of insurgencies in African nations. The Associated Press reported that the Trump administration's shift in policy toward America's allies in Africa was emphasized in its recent African Lion joint training exercise, which is the U.S. military's largest joint training exercise in the region. In an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said, 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations.' During the final day of the African Lion joint training exercise last Friday, Langley said, 'There needs to be some burden sharing.' READ MORE: Global military spending increases at highest rate since Cold War: Report The Associated Press reported that while the U.S. government has traditionally been outspoken regarding the links between defense, development, and diplomacy with regard to security in Africa, Langley noted that one of the Department of Defense's priorities under Trump's leadership is to help U.S. allies develop the capability of managing their own security. 'We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland,' Langley told The Associated Press. In reference to the country's support for Sudan, Langley added, 'And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas.' In a statement on U.S. Army Europe and Africa's website, U.S. military officials announced that African Lion 25 was U.S. Africa Command's 'largest, premier, annual exercise, hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia.' 'This joint, all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise includes more than 10,000 participants from more than twenty nations, including contingents from NATO,' U.S. Army Europe and Africa added. 'African Lion aims to strengthen interoperability among participants and build readiness to respond to crises and contingencies in Africa and around the world.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US military changes tone in Africa, urges burden-sharing among allies
The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies' underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear. 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,' Gen. Michael Langley said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'There needs to be some burden sharing,' Langley, the U.S. military's top official in Africa, said on Friday, the final day of the exercise. For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to confront threats by air, land and sea. They flew drones, simulated close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert. Maneuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 21st year. But mostly gone now is language that emphasizes ideas the U.S. once argued set it apart from Russia and China. Messaging about the interwoven work of defense, diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington's security pitch. In their place now are calls for helping allies to build capacity manage their own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump's Defense Department. 'We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland. And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas,' he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan. The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to 'build a leaner, more lethal force,' including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like Africa, where America's rivals continue to deepen their influence. China has launched its own expansive training program for African militaries. Russian mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of choice throughout North, West and Central Africa. In an interview a year ago, Langley emphasized what U.S. military officials have long called a 'whole of government approach' to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn't stabilize weak states and protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out. 'I've always professed that AFRICOM is not just a military organization,' Langley said last year. He called good governance an 'enduring solution to a number of layered threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from changing environments, or whether it be from violent extremist organizations.' The 'whole of government approach' no longer occupies the same place at the center of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development coupled with defense had reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border. But such successes aren't a pattern. 'I've seen progression and I've seen regression,' said Langley, who is scheduled to exit his post later this year. The U.S. military's new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand. 'We see Africa as the epicenter for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,' a senior U.S. defense official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly. Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon's list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent. In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said. The messaging shift from 'whole of government' to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power. Parts of of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, more than half of the world's terrorism victims were killed across West Africa's Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia accounted for 6% of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel. Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia's army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged. 'The Somali National Army is trying to find their way,' Langley said, adding that they had regained some footing after years of setbacks. 'There are some things they still need on the battlefield to be very effective.' Similarly in West Africa, the notion that states could soon have the capacity to counter such threats is a distant prospect, said Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks, a security consulting firm. Even before Western influence began to wane in the Sahel, needed military support was limited, threats remained active and local militaries were left without the tools to confront them. Western powers with a presence in the Sahel have gradually scaled back their engagement, either by choice or after being pushed out by increasingly hostile governments. 'Many of them do not have very strong air forces and are not able to monitor the movement of militants, especially in areas where roads are very difficult to traverse, the infrastructure is extremely poor,' said Ochieng, who specializes in the Sahel and Great Power competition in Africa.
