Rabat – Head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) US Marine Corps General Michael Langley has expressed satisfaction with US-Morocco cooperation, stressing the two countries’ commitment to regional peace and security.
Langley, a high-ranking US military official, made his remarks during a two-day visit to Morocco from October 17-18. The trip marked his first visit to Morocco as a US AFRICOM commander, a position he was entrusted with in August.
Commenting on the visit, Langley said “it is a great honor for me to make my trip to the Kingdom of Morocco in my new role as U.S. AFRICOM commander.”
The military official also commended the level of cooperation between the US and Morocco saying that the countries’ commitment to supporting regional peace and security is “stronger than ever.”
During the visit, Langley met with several senior military officials, including Morocco’s General Belkhir El Farouk, Inspector General of the Moroccan Armed Forces, and Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate for the National Defense Administration.
The meetings focused on means to continue to work together on different critical security issues to ensure regional peace, Langley explained
Military cooperation between the US and Morocco is “built on deep, historic ties” that date back to the “very founding of the United States,” Langley said.
A statement from the US embassy said that Langley’s visit comes a few weeks before a “major milestone” in the two countries relationship, marking the 80th anniversary of Operation Torch. The event recalls the deployment of 30,000 US troops in Morocco to protect the region from Nazi rule during World War II in 1942.
“Gen. Langley received a presentation about the Operation Torch anniversary and its significance for U.S.-Morocco relations during a visit to the FAR’s Military History Directorate in Rabat,” the communique said.
In addition to strengthened trade ties, Morocco and the US collaborate together in different fields, particularly counter-terrorism.
Morocco and the US also work together in a variety of military training exercises, including African Lion drills.
Morocco, which participates in 100 military exercises, has been hosting the African Lion military maneuvers for 18 years.
Recently, the US senate witnessed lobbying attempts against Morocco’s hosting rights.
In July, Republican Senator James Inhofe –the most vocal pro-Polisario voice in Washington– requested the search for alternative locations for the military exercise.
“I have pushed [the Pentagon] to look at alternative locations for the annual African Lion military exercise that’s been hosted in Morocco previously,” the news website Defense News recently quoted Inhofe as saying at a Senate confirmation hearing.
“I’m pleased that [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] is in agreement with me on this issue,” the senator added.
Morocco, a hard-to-replace host
US General Stephen J. Townsend, then-commander of AFRICOM, acknowledged that the US is indeed looking for an alternative to Morocco, but he ruled out claims that the decision indicates a change in the US position regarding Western Sahara.
The US recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in December 2020.
General Townsend explained that the defense law for the Fiscal Year 2022 passed by the US Congress requires the Department of Defense to look at “diversifying the exercise… and maybe moving the exercise or elements of the exercise to other areas on the continent.”
The former commander also argued that it will be difficult to find a host for the African Lion as “fantastic as Morocco.”
Speaking about Morocco’s military assets, General Townsend said: “They have a tremendous capacity to do it.”
He added that the country has the “infrastructure, the training rangers, all of that. They are fantastic hosts.”
