The US Embassy in Morocco confirmed, in a post on its official social media accounts, that the recent visit of General Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), to Rabat was a celebration of the strong and sustainable partnership between Washington and its Moroccan allies.
The US Embassy highlighted that this visit, which included high-level talks with a number of Moroccan military officials, as well as a visit to the Ben Guerir air base, underscores the two countries’ shared commitment to peace, security and prosperity across the African continent.
In late October, Abdellatif Loudiyi, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defense Administration, received, on royal instructions, Lieutenant General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the AFRICOM Command, at the Ministry headquarters in Rabat, where talks were held during which both sides expressed their satisfaction with the strength of the ties that unite the two countries, renewing their commitment to strengthening the Moroccan-American strategic partnership at the defense level, in implementation of the 2020-2030 Military Cooperation Roadmap.
The same US military official also held talks with Lieutenant General Mohamed Berriz, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the Southern Region, which focused on discussing various aspects of bilateral military cooperation within the framework of a strong partnership, particularly with regard to modernizing and enhancing the readiness and capabilities of the Royal Armed Forces, as well as joint training exercises, in addition to exchanging views on the regional situation and ways to enhance security and stability in the region.
On the occasion of his arrival in Rabat, the commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) gave an exclusive interview to the Hespress electronic newspaper, in which he affirmed that “Morocco is among the trusted allies and strategic partners for Washington on the African continent, as the Kingdom was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of the United States of America,” adding: “The military partnership between the two countries has grown significantly; for twenty-two years we have been conducting together the African Lion maneuvers, which are the largest military exercise conducted on the African continent with the participation of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.”
The same military official added that “Morocco is a security and military model to be emulated at the regional level, as it not only strengthens its internal security, but also contributes to training forces from other African countries within the framework of regional cooperation.” He added: “The Kingdom is also a key partner in many multilateral initiatives,” stressing that “Rabat plays a central role thanks to its geographical location, political stability and relative military development compared to its neighbors, and therefore it is a reliable strategic partner in the field of securing global maritime trade routes, which is in the interest of regional and global security alike.”
