{"id":20289,"date":"2022-08-09T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/08\/09\/expand-israel-morocco-security-cooperation-to-counter-malign-influence-in-africa\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:49:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:49:43","slug":"expand-israel-morocco-security-cooperation-to-counter-malign-influence-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2022\/08\/09\/expand-israel-morocco-security-cooperation-to-counter-malign-influence-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Expand Israel-Morocco security cooperation to counter malign influence in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last month, U.S. Africa Command hosted its premier multilateral exercise, African Lion 22<\/a>, involving 7,500 coalition forces from 10 nations across the Maghreb and West Africa. This year, beyond the usual roars of Moroccan and Senegalese lions, USAFRICOM\u2019s foremost exercise was augmented by those of another pride: Israeli lions. Further promoting the Israeli-Moroccan partnership \u2014 made possible by the 2020 Abraham Accords<\/a> \u2014 would allow the United States to multiply its strategic footprint in Africa without diverting resources from other theaters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa has emerged as a lynchpin of the global strategic balance of power. Renewed strategic competition and the proliferation of violent extremist organizations<\/a> threaten to undermine the integrity of African states and key U.S. strategic interests. At the same time, these challenges present an opportunity for Morocco \u2014 America\u2019s oldest treaty ally and a historical Maghrebi power \u2014 to come into its own as a regional leader and stability provider with the help of newfound Israeli technical and security support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following decades during which the United States\u2019 focus has been diverted to other regions, U.S. competitors have achieved significant military entrenchment in Africa<\/a> at the expense of the stability and political-economic independence of African countries. Beijing now refers to Africa as China\u2019s \u201csecond continent,\u201d<\/a> according to AFRICOM commander Gen. Stephen Townsend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond its military inroads, China hopes to fuel its geoeconomic rise with African natural wealth, for example by increasingly monopolizing Africa\u2019s rare earth minerals needed for the batteries and chips necessary for any green revolution<\/a>. Meanwhile, Russian mercenaries<\/a> are driving civil conflicts and military juntas across the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n