US Army Expands African Lion Exercise, Considers Merging European and African Commands

The African Lion 2021 military exercise "will be a good training opportunity for the [American] allies," said Major General Andrew M. Rohling, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army for Europe and Africa, during a telephone press briefing on Tuesday. On this occasion, the U.S. Army’s decision to consolidate the European Army and the African Army into a single four-star command was discussed.

General Rohling said that the multinational training exercise for African soldiers scheduled for June 2021 will take place in three countries: Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal. "Tunisia will be the main hub for African Lion in most of the training in the region," he said.

Last year, African Lion had been canceled due to the health crisis related to the coronavirus. The 2021 edition that will take place is "designed to be flexible." In total, nearly "5,000 military personnel from North Africa and elsewhere" will participate.