Marruecos se afianza como “el gran socio” estadounidense en África
Rabat and Washington are continuing their plans for military collaboration, which represents an important endorsement for the North African nation in the framework of the overall defence strategy for the African continent. The US Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, visited the Moroccan capital this Sunday, where he met with the Alawite Minister of Defence, Abdelatif Loudiyi, and with Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR). It was specified that Morocco is "a partner and a great ally for the American nation". According to the Moroccan news agency MAP, the meeting was held "with satisfaction".
During these meetings, the two parties expressed their satisfaction with the level of excellence achieved by the centuries-old relations of affection and collaboration, underpinned by a strategic military partnership administered by a significant legal arsenal, in particular the 2020-2030 defence roadmap, a cooperation signed in October 2020, during the visit to the Kingdom of the US Secretary of Defence, as indicated in a press release from the General Staff of the FAR. After reviewing the state of bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and the possibilities of further strengthening it, they highlighted the relevance of the annual combined exercise "African Lion" which represents an important "lever of success at the service of the interoperability of the Armed Forces".
The Moroccan Defence Minister mentioned the tripartite declaration signed by the Kingdom of Morocco, the United States and Israel in December 2020, as part of the Abraham Accords, to strengthen peace and stability in North Africa and the Middle East. Coinciding with this three-way agreement, former US President Donald Trump expressed his agreement on Morocco's sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony in dispute between Rabat and the Saharawi Polisario Front and largely controlled de facto by Morocco. Milley also hailed the "strong, concrete and excellent" military relations that have united the US and Morocco for the past two decades as the longest on the continent.
According to experts, the high-level US military visit to Morocco is a strong signal to General Said Chengriha's power in Algeria, the Iranian mullahs and Lebanese Hezbollah, whose manoeuvres pose a growing threat to stability in North Africa and the Sahel. At the meeting, which took place in the presence of the chiefs of staff of the Moroccan General Staff and senior US military commanders, the two officers urged their desire to further invigorate cooperation and strategic partnership between the two militias, according to the Moroccan General Staff's announcement.
The African Lion celebration has become one of the most important milestones in the common calendar of the United States and Morocco, which in these years celebrate their diplomatic closeness that, at the same time, translates into a military alliance for strategic purposes beneficial to both nations. Precisely, Western Sahara has become one of the main elements around which Moroccan foreign diplomacy orbits, after Mohammed VI succeeded in getting both the United States and Spain to recognise his plan for sovereignty over the region. In the case of Spain, it was the government of Pedro Sánchez that, in a letter sent to the Moroccan monarch, defined its new position.
Washington's support for the Kingdom governed by Mohammed VI is of vital importance for the North African country's development. Since the beginning of the year, American logistical and strategic support has been crucial to the region's stability. It is a fact that Morocco has entered fully into military industrialisation with the manufacture of drones and other military equipment, the modernisation of its F-16s and the future receipt of Apache helicopters. Part of the Moroccan kingdom's plans is to create a robust industrial and military fabric at the national level. As part of the ongoing development, research and promotion of the FAR's air defence capabilities, the Kingdom's central administration reached an agreement with the US aerospace and defence company L3HARRIS for the implementation of the latest and most effective defence methods.
The agreement signed between the military delegations of the two States reflects the modernisation and strengthening of the operational capabilities of the Moroccan Armed Forces (RFA), in addition to the development of the military industry in Morocco. According to a communiqué issued by the Moroccan Ministry of Defence in February, it was stated that this agreement reinforces the independence of the FRG. In order to optimise defence, the North African country intends to continue its arms race with the United States. The Alawi nation is gradually becoming a regional and global military power, basing much of its potential on a modern air force such as the FRG, which, duly supported by anti-aircraft systems, is on the right path to achieving the necessary deterrent effect against its enemies.
America Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra.
