Morocco Emerges as Top U.S. Arms Buyer in Africa, Key Defense Partner

U.S. military sales to Morocco have reached $8.545 billion under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, a mechanism facilitating the acquisition of American weapons, defense equipment, design and construction services, as well as military training, the U.S. Department of State said, also praising Morocco’s role in UN peacekeeping operations in several areas of armed conflict across different countries. The kingdom is among the ten largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations worldwide, according to its official website. Morocco currently deploys 1,718 peacekeepers in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and South Sudan, it is specified.

Recently, Army Corps General Mohamed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Commander of the Southern Zone, spoke by phone with General Charles Brown, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the request of the U.S. joint command. Hailing the dynamic of military cooperation that unites the Moroccan and American armies in various fields, the two senior military officials stressed that the "African Lion" exercise, organized in Morocco since 2004, is a striking example of the solidity and depth of this Moroccan-American strategic partnership. They also discussed issues of common interest, including regional security and ways to coordinate efforts to address current challenges and threats in the region.