Algeria joins Israel in the African Lion 2025 Exercise
The U.S. Army announced on Wednesday, via a press release, the official launch of the African Lion 2025 exercise, set to begin on April 14 in Tunisia. This is the flagship annual exercise of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). Additional maneuvers will take place in Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco starting in May, bringing together more than 10,000 troops from over 40 countries, including seven NATO allies. This year's edition is expected to be the largest in the history of the exercise.
Since the normalization of relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv on December 10, 2020, the Israeli army has participated regularly in these large-scale drills. Its presence—particularly on Moroccan soil—has now become routine.
This year, African Lion will welcome new participants, including Algeria as an «observer member», as well as Qatar, according to the AFRICOM press release.
The participation of the Qatari army alongside Israeli forces is not unexpected. Qatar is also listed among the countries taking part in the Iniochos 2025 air exercise, held in Greece from March 24 to April 13, with an F-15 aircraft.
Algeria, for its part, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, although President Abdelmadjid Tebboune mentioned during a February 2 interview with a French media outlet that normalization with the Israeli state was a possibility. The presence of Algerian military personnel at African Lion 2025—even as observers—on Tunisian, Senegalese, Ghanaian, or potentially Moroccan soil, marks a notable shift in the history of these exercises.
It is worth noting that General Michael Langley, AFRICOM commander, made his third visit to Algeria on January 22, 2025, during which a memorandum of understanding for military cooperation was signed, according to a U.S. Embassy press release.
Back in October 2020, during Donald Trump's presidency, Algeria declined a U.S. invitation to sign a military cooperation agreement during a regional tour by then–Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. In contrast, Morocco and Tunisia seized the opportunity.
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