The rumour spread, and some media outlets in the region started pointing fingers at Algeria, which says it does not negotiate with Israel, while at the same time partaking in the mega multinational military exercise “African Lion 2025,” led by the U.S. military command for Africa (AFRICOM). The rumour fizzled out, as Algeria politely declined the U.S. invitation.
Algeria had been invited as an observer country. This exercise will take place in four African countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. Over 52 nations and more than 10,000 soldiers are anticipated to participate, including the Israeli armed forces, notably the Golan Brigade. However, an essential clarification must be made: the Israeli forces will only participate in operations with the Moroccan army, and only within Morocco’s borders.
Another concession was made to Algeria by AFRICOM: Western Sahara, which is a major point of contention between Morocco and Algeria, will not be included in the military exercises. “The exercises will not take place in Western Sahara. All activities will happen in the northern part of Morocco, with the southernmost area being Tan-Tan. The majority of operations will be along Morocco’s Atlantic coast,” stated the source during a video press conference on Monday, April 21, from the U.S. embassy in Algiers.
American officials said, “The preparation for the manoeuvres spans an entire year. We invited Algeria to participate as an observer, but they declined the invitation. The invitation remains open, nevertheless.” They added that Algeria plays a pivotal role in the region and has been invited to all previous editions of the exercise. They stated that Algeria has every right to accept or decline the invitation and expressed hope that Algeria would join future editions, as its participation would add more weight and significance to the exercise.
Journalists revisited the 2022 edition, especially the uproar caused by the portrayal of Algeria as an enemy in the scenarios. The U.S. command affirmed that “no country, including Algeria or Libya, was explicitly designated as an enemy. It was a fictitious enemy, and the planned ground movements were intended to take place on their territories. There was no intention to label them as enemies.”
Concerning the 2025 edition, the scenarios will not use borders (likely to avoid misunderstandings in this sensitive context). “The threat will come from the sea,” said AFRICOM.
As for the rest, a military partnership between Washington and Algiers is intensifying. AFRICOM officials reminded that the first act of the Trump administration in Africa was the signing of the first defence agreement with Algeria. “Since then, the pace of exchanges has accelerated, notably through mutual visits and U.S. naval ship stops at Algerian ports,” said the American officials.
The U.S. is so careful to avoid upsetting Algeria that they clarified the official sale of 600 FIM-92K Stinger missiles to Morocco (a deal worth $825 million): these projectiles “will enhance Morocco’s ability to face current and future threats without altering the military balance in the region.”
When a country like Algeria spends as much (with $25.15 billion allocated for defence in 2025 alone), it naturally attracts attention. And Trump isn’t the only one eyeing Algerian money; China, Russia, the UK, and France are also involved, though relations with the latter have recently been turbulent, to say the least.