The United States and Morocco on Monday launched the vast annual “African Lion” military exercise, amid heightened tensions between the North African kingdom and neighboring Algeria. The exercise, which began in the southern Moroccan region of Agadir and lasts the rest of the month, involves some 7,500 personnel from 10 nations such as Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom. The “exercise bolsters interoperability among partner nations and supports US military strategic readiness to respond to crises and contingencies in Africa and around the world”, it added. Algeria responded months later by breaking ties with Morocco, citing “hostile acts” and slamming its neighbor’s security cooperation with the “Zionist entity” (Israel). Morocco considers it an integral part of the kingdom, while the Polisario has long demanded an independence referendum there.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 21, 2022 05:33 UTC