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AFRICOM’s Gen. Townsend meets African leaders at exercise African Lion

The Commander of U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, visited Morocco to attend the closing ceremony of Exercise African Lion 21 and to meet with several African defense leaders June 17-19. Townsend met with senior Moroccan military leaders for outstanding efforts by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in planning and executing African Lion 2021; Senegal’s Chief of Defense Staff to thank the nation’s efforts as a security leader in West Africa and for hosting and participating in multiple U.S. Africa Command exercises; and Libyan leaders to stress foreign forces need to withdraw from Libya and discuss opportunities for greater military cooperation with the United States.

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Photo by: U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs 

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Obangame Express 21 Exercise

Service members from the Ghanaian special forces provide cover while approaching a vessel during a boarding exercise as part of Obangame Express 2021, March 17, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.

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Photo by: PO1 Fred Gray 

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U.S. Airmen begin African Lion humanitarian efforts

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kate Ovington, a physician assistant with the 113th Medical Group, performs an examination at the military field hospital on June 7, 2021 in Tafraoute, Morocco during African Lion 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia, and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is multi-domain, null-component, and multinational exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Annie Edwards).

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Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Annie Edwards 

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Armored Personnel Carriers complement Somalia security forces in fight against al-Shabaab

The six vehicles were turned-over to SNA-Danab forces July 6 in a ceremony attended by leaders in the Somali Defense Forces, U.S. Department of State & U.S. Africa Command.

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Photo by: U.S. Embassy in Somalia 

China, Russia and the United States are all on the African continent, each with their own interests. But while the commander of U.S. Africa Command said the U.S. would not ask African nations to choose between the U.S. and other countries as a partner, he did say they should pay close attention to what partnering will actually mean.

"Both China and Russia are ... competing fiercely in Africa," said Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend during an online discussion Tuesday with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I think the Russian's competition there is very self-interested and exploitative. I don't believe either one of these actors are really there to help Africa in the long run. But in Russia's case, I think they're there to exploit the continent for their own gain."

Some Russian-based mercenary groups operating in Africa, for instance, are suspected of committing atrocities in the Central African Republic, Townsend said.

"We have pointed out the actions of [The Wagner Group] in Libya just a few months ago," Townsend said. "I don't think these actors are helping Africans, that's what I believe."

China has done much investment in Africa on infrastructure. Townsend said while the U.S. is not going to compete with Chinese investment in infrastructure, it does have its own benefits to offer.

What the U.S. does offer, he said, is always tied with democratic values and transparency — just like what is offered by the European Union.

"That's what we bring," he said. "We play with our cards facing out, as the saying goes. And we offer our skills. And I think that's an attractive proposition for most of our African partners."

Townsend said that while the U.S. doesn't ask African nations to choose between it and China, for instance, he does offer caution about what's being offered and what the terms are.

"I think that these countries ought to just go into these relationships with their eyes wide open," he said. "I don't think Russia is out for the best interests of Africa and probably in the long term, neither is China. But China is bringing a lot of investment to the continent and I would just urge our African partners: try to take advantage of that without getting taken advantage of."

Combined African Exercises

Last year's exercise Flintlock 2020 was held across multiple locations in Mauritania and Senegal, and involved more than 1,600 service members from 30 African and Western nations. It's an example of successful partnerships in Africa, Townsend said.

"Flintlock 2020 was a fantastic exercise," he said. "Our view of these exercises is it's ... one of the best ways to bring allies and partners together to work on common security objectives and to share knowledge and best practices."

The Flintlock exercise is a Special Operations Command Africa led all-domain exercise meant to strengthen the ability of partner nations to counter violent extremist organizations, protect borders and provide security to civilians.

"I think these things are important because they allow us to share best practices and improve our interoperability," Townsend said. "If we are going to operate together on the battlefield, we have to exercise so we know how ... each of our armies work."

He said exercises like Flintlock allow partners to better understand each other's equipment, procedures and communications.

"I think the exercises are very important and we seek, in U.S. Africom, to continue our exercises not only in West Africa but across the continent on ... air, land and sea," Townsend said.

AFRICOM conducts six annual multinational exercises including Flintlock; Africa Lion and Justified Accord, both led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force Africa; and the Express Series consisting of Phoenix Express, Cutlass Express and Obangame Express, all led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa Command.