The visit of the newly appointed commander of the US AFRICOM to Morocco on October 17th, mere days after NSS’s emphasis on building US-African partnerships, corroborates the strategic and pivotal US-Morocco partnership in key transnational issues. During his meeting with Moroccan officials, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, the highest-ranking U.S. military official focused on Africa, lauded the Moroccan-US security partnership.
On building Africa-US partnerships, the NSS mentioned working closely with African states and African regional institutions to find solutions for issues such as terrorism, climate change, humanitarian crises, corruption, and more, in addition to bolstering Africa’s private sector, digital economy, and energy transition.
The White House’s National Security Strategy (NSS) underscores how US-Africa partnerships will be built. US AFRICOM stated that “the U.S. will support African-led efforts toward political solutions to address costly conflicts, terrorist activity & humanitarian crises.”
Gen. Langley said that “the U.S.-Morocco commitment to supporting regional peace and security is stronger than ever.”
The General stated that the discussions he held with Moroccan officials “focused on how we can continue to work together on a range of critical security issues and continue to ensure regional stability.”
Morocco, an internationally recognized leader in counterterrorism, has long been one of the U.S. major partners in combatting this issue, whether in Africa or elsewhere. The Kingdom has been hosting the US-sponsored African Lion military exercise for over 18 years, something the previous commander of AFRICOM, Gen Stephen J. Townsend, said would be difficult to replicate elsewhere.
Indeed, Morocco has deployed great efforts to support regional stability and security in Africa. Recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita chaired a ministerial meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union that proposed development and deradicalization as solutions to the terrorist threats in the continent. The Minister also discussed the danger of separatist groups, with Africa counting 19 of them, on the security and stability of the region.
The U.S. will support African-led efforts toward political solutions to address costly conflicts, terrorist activity & humanitarian crises.
The U.S. will invest in local & international peacekeeping to prevent new conflicts from emerging.
More on NSS: https://t.co/urGtglUGIp https://t.co/564a6m7V8q
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) October 17, 2022