Morocco announced Monday that the African Lion 2023 military exercise would be held between May 22 and June 16.
The announcement came during the planning meeting of the African Lion 2023 at the level of the South Zone Headquarters in Agadir, held between January 9 and 20, according to the General Staff of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.
The meeting included members of the Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and the representatives of the Moroccan and US armed forces.
The statement indicated they discussed the execution of various activities planned within the framework of the African Lion drills and chose the sites for the exercises.
The drills will include training in several operational areas and a planning exercise for staff executives, joint and combined maneuvers including land, airborne, maritime, special forces, air, civil-military action, and nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical decontamination, the statement said.
The US and Moroccan planners agreed on the modalities of the joint show between the FAR and the 23rd Utah State Army Band, which will be held on the sidelines of the operational activities of the African Lion 23.
The show is part of the activities planned on the 20th anniversary of the bilateral cooperation between the FAR and the Utah State National Guard.
African Lion 23 will take place from May 22 to June 16, 2023, in Agadir, Tantan, Al-Mahbes, Tiznit, Kenitra, Ben Guerir, and Tifnit.
African Lion is the most important multinational exercise on the African continent. It has been organized in Morocco over the past two decades, reflecting the strong cooperation between Morocco and the United States as a privileged strategic partner of the Kingdom.
The statement concluded that the participation of several countries, especially African ones, in this annual event establishes Morocco as a credible partner, open and committed to its origins and the ideals of the international community, namely peace, security, and co-development.