African Lion 21 concludes after honing multinational operations on land, in air and over sea
7:57 AM6/23/2021
Exercise highlights included airborne parachute jumps, live-fire rocket and artillery ranges, joint flights among U.S. and Moroccan F-16s, sea-based maneuvers and a humanitarian assistance mission treating 8,000 patients.
AFRICOM’s Gen. Townsend meets African leaders at exercise African Lion
9:51 AM6/21/2021
The Commander of U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, visited Morocco to attend the closing ceremony of Exercise African Lion 21 and to meet with several African defense leaders June 17-19. Townsend met with senior Moroccan military leaders for outstanding efforts by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in planning and executing African Lion 2021; Senegal’s Chief of Defense Staff to thank the nation’s efforts as a security leader in West Africa and for hosting and participating in multiple U.S. Africa Command exercises; and Libyan leaders to stress foreign forces need to withdraw from Libya and discuss opportunities for greater military cooperation with the United States.
AFRICOM’s Gen. Townsend meets African leaders at exercise African Lion
9:51 AM6/21/2021
The Commander of U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, visited Morocco to attend the closing ceremony of Exercise African Lion 21 and to meet with several African defense leaders June 17-19. Townsend met with senior Moroccan military leaders for outstanding efforts by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in planning and executing African Lion 2021; Senegal’s Chief of Defense Staff to thank the nation’s efforts as a security leader in West Africa and for hosting and participating in multiple U.S. Africa Command exercises; and Libyan leaders to stress foreign forces need to withdraw from Libya and discuss opportunities for greater military cooperation with the United States.
AFRICOM’s Gen. Townsend meets African leaders at exercise African Lion
9:40 AM6/21/2021
Gen. Stephen Townsend visited Morocco to attend the closing ceremony of African Lion 2021 and to meet with several African defense leaders June 17-19, 2021.
U.S. Africa Command visit concludes, sparks key discussions with Sudan, DRC
9:12 AM6/14/2021
The trip occurred during a critical time for Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as both countries navigate paths toward democracy and civilian-led governments. Engagements renewed partnerships between the U.S. and these African nations and provided opportunities to discuss commonalities, shared values, pursue mutual interests, and strengthen the regional capacity of these nations to address security challenges.
U.S. Africa Command wins prestigious communications industry award
8:23 AM6/14/2021
In a virtual ceremony from New York City June 10, U.S. Africa Command received the Public Relations Society of America’s prestigious Silver Anvil Award for the command’s strategic outreach efforts with Sudan and on the African continent.
African Lion 21 exercise begins with 7,800 troops in Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal
4:52 PM6/7/2021
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Andrew M. Rohling, Commander U.S. Army Southern European Task Force Africa, and Moroccan Army Général d'armée Belkhir El Farouk, Royal Moroccan Armed Forces Southern Zone Commander, enter the Rehearsal of Concept Drill for African Lion, Agadir Morocco, June 7, 2021. African Lion is U.S. Africa Command’s largest, premier, Joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. Al21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jared Kindlespire)
African Lion 21 exercise begins with 7,800 troops in Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal
3:33 PM6/7/2021
African Lion 21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which will employ a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among partner nations and enhance the ability to operate in the African theater of operations.
U.S. Africa Command Civilian Casualty Assessment Quarterly Report; 2nd Quarter, 2021
12:00 AM6/4/2021
In the latest quarterly civilian casualty assessment report period ending Mar. 31, 2021, U.S. Africa Command received two new reports of civilian casualties and closed out two of three open cases.
AFRICOM commander presides over CJTF-HOA change of command, engages with partners during East Africa trip
4:36 PM5/25/2021
U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, Commander, U.S. Africa Command, travelled to Djibouti May 14-18, 2021. During the visit, he presided over the Change of Command ceremony for Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, where U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Lapthe Flora relinquished command to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Zana. Townsend also joined U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti Jonathan G. Pratt for a meeting with Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf ; and met with Djiboutian Minister of Defense M. Hassan Omar Mohamed, and Chief of Defense Maj. Gen. Zakaria Chekh Imbrahim. During the visit, the leaders discussed security in Djibouti and the region and their dedication to working together on the mutual goals of regional stability, security, and prosperity.
The partnership between Djibouti and the United States remains strong as we work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Africa Command has contributed $6.2 million to Djiboutian COVID-19 relief efforts since the start of the pandemic.
Military equipment 'under way' for African Lion 21
4:12 PM5/25/2021
More than 7,000 troops from nine countries will participate in the exercise – U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual exercise. The exercise demonstrates the winning combat capabilities of the U.S. and African partners and regional allies while enhancing strategic readiness to respond to contingencies around the globe.
Exercise Phoenix Express 2021 holds opening ceremony in Tunisia
10:08 AM5/19/2021
This year’s exercise control group is hosted by Tunisia with training taking place throughout the Mediterranean Sea, to include territorial waters of participating North African nations. The at-sea portion of the exercise will test North African, European, and U.S. maritime forces’ abilities to respond to irregular migration and combat illicit trafficking and the movement of illegal goods and materials.