Agadir — A ceremony was held Wednesday at the headquarters of the Staff of the South Zone in Agadir, on the occasion of African Lion 2022, in the presence of representatives of participating countries.
In a speech delivered on this occasion, Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Commander of the South Zone, said that "the last two days of each edition of the Exercise African Lion is one of the highlights of this event."
"They are the culmination of a year's work in planning and conducting a series of military activities, even preparing the environment for engagement worthy of a well-established coalition," he further noted.
"The objectives of the 2022 edition are achieved with satisfaction," he said, noting that "Exercise African Lion, which is now in its 18th edition, is born of a visionary will of two great nations, the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco, to consolidate their military cooperation, but also to contribute to the building of prosperity and stability in the world.
"At a time when many questions are raised about the current geopolitical context marked by a lack of security and economic visibility around the world, the Exercise African Lion defying COVID 19, stands year after year as an example of North-South cooperation, which has become essential to the integration of reliable partners, imbued with the same convictions," he stressed.
For his part, the American Major General Andrew Rohling, Commander of SETAF-AF, stressed the importance of this event, expressing his satisfaction with the achievement of the objectives of the exercise. African Lion 2022 is an opportunity to exchange experiences with partner countries and consolidate military cooperation, he noted.
"African Lion" is a combined joint exercise organized each year by the FAR and the U.S. Armed Forces.
This year's edition, which will continue until June 30, sees the participation of 10 African and international countries, including Morocco and the United States, as well as some twenty military observers from partner countries in the regions of Agadir, Benguerir, Kenitra, Mahbes, Taroudant and Tantan.
