One month ago, 7,500 soldiers from Africa, the Americas and Europe participated in Morocco’s largest military exercise to date on the African continent. Tanks rolled across desert sands for weeks, crews from 40 nations conducted simulated counter Terrorism operations, and the newest generation of HIMARS missile launchers kicked up brown dust as part of the African Lion maneuvers. The exercise has been hosted by the United States and held in Morocco for 18 years running.
Now the Pentagon is seeking a new host nation under pressure from Congress. The Western Sahara conflict sits in the background of this decision.
General Stephen J. Townsend, commander of United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM), confirmed that most of the 2023 exercises may be hosted by a country other than Morocco. Townsend explained the move as part of congressional oversight. “We will explore this because we were asked to find volunteer countries to host all or parts of the African Lion maneuvers and we will send teams to evaluate. Our aim is to diversify the exercises,” he stated.
Each year, participants include soldiers from the United States, Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Chad, France, Italy, Brazil and the Netherlands. In the last two editions, during a tense diplomatic moment between Morocco and Algeria, Spain chose not to participate.
Townsend did not directly reference the Western Sahara dispute, but he noted that the decision was prompted by a mandate from Congress for the fiscal year 2022 defense bill that remained in effect for 2023. He stressed the commitment to civilian control of the armed forces and to following the directions given by civilian leaders and the government.
The discussion touches on the ongoing debate around the National Defense Authorization Act, which frames annual military budgeting. Legislators from multiple parties have pressed for changes to ensure that defense spending aligns with the interests of the districts that elect them.
A senator with concerns about Western Sahara challenged Moroccan policy and urged a relocation of the exercises. The situation drew commentary from the region and beyond as observers weighed the potential implications for regional diplomacy.
For El Periódico de España, published by Prensa Ibérica, there is a sense that Congress may be nudging Morocco toward concessions so negotiations on Western Sahara can begin in earnest and Rabat can engage in credible talks. Intissar Fakir, director of the North Africa and Sahel program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, cautioned that the move would be unwelcome in Rabat, while suggesting Townsend signaled possibilities for future cooperation in a different setting.
Senator Inhofe
The senator in question is James Inhofe, the Republican leader of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He criticized Moroccan policies toward Western Sahara, telling The Washington Times that Rabat has failed to repair damage to the Saharawi people or show real willingness to resolve the crisis. Inhofe argued that Morocco has influenced successive U.S. administrations with its stance on negotiations with the Saharawi Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria. He urged the Defense Department to seek an alternative site for the annual African Lion exercises that Morocco has hosted for nearly two decades.
Along with Democrat Patrick Leahy last year, Inhofe helped steer a bipartisan effort in the Senate challenging Donald Trump’s Western Sahara stance. A letter signed by 27 senators urged President Biden to rethink the decision, arguing that recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara undermined decades of U.S. policy and strained relations with several African partners. The same day, Morocco announced renewed diplomatic ties with Israel.
Senators called on Biden to re-commit to a referendum on the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination. The letter warned that the previous administration’s December 11, 2020 recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara extended a flawed approach that harmed U.S. interests in the region.
Townsend highlighted that Washington could be ready to adjust course while leaving open the possibility of Morocco hosting the African Lion again in the future. He expressed confidence that U.S. and Moroccan teams could collaborate again on future maneuvers within the Maghreb.