US-Morocco Military Exercise ’African Lion 2021’ to Include Southern Provinces

The FAR review also indicated that a "CIMIC (civil-military actions) module team traveled to the cities of Tafraout and Dakhla to choose the ideal location that will house the field hospital, planned for the AL21 exercise" while "other planners went to the Tifnit, TanTan, and Mahbes region to define the sites that will host the land and airborne maneuvers as well as the operations to fight terrorist organizations."

It stresses that "large-scale maneuvers are planned, including land (FTX), airborne (A-FTX), maritime (MTX), Special Forces, (CVEO), air (ATX), civil-military actions (CIMIC), exercise (NRBC) and simulation (CPX)." What is being prepared is "one of the most important allied exercises in the world," reports article19.ma.

According to the same source, the choice of Dakhla and Mahbas for the conduct of part of the African Lion military exercise confirms Washington’s recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara. For General Mark Jackson, Deputy Commander of US Forces in Europe and Africa, these operations remain essential for all the units participating in them. "What we are doing in Africa is important. Not only are we strengthening the readiness of tactical units by deploying forces thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean and rehearsing sophisticated joint operations in all domains, but we are also building strong foundations of friendship between Morocco and the United States with a coalition of partners and allies."