Morocco: option to host AFRICOM
Morocco is seen from various quarters as a serious option for hosting AFRICOM, the United States Army's Africa Command.
AFRICOM was linked to Europe, especially Stuttgart, and the US intention is to restructure its military presence in Africa by creating an independent military command for operations planned on the African continent.
The US Senate recently approved the appointment of new leadership for AFRICOM, marking the end of its coexistence with the US Armed Forces European Command (USAREUR-AF).
According to several sources consulted by Defense24, Morocco is among the options being considered to host the new headquarters of the US Armed Forces' African military command.
The new US military command in Africa would serve to provide strategic autonomy for military decision-making, strengthen cooperation with allies on the African continent and provide a faster response to challenges to regional security, with hot spots such as North Africa and the Sahel region, where illegal activities by criminal gangs and even jihadist terrorist groups are proliferating. This activity is a threat not only to the African continent, but to the entire world.
The choice of Morocco, if confirmed, would respond to geographical, logistical and diplomatic interests, as Morocco is a link between Africa, Europe and the Atlantic and a gateway to the African continent, in addition to currently having a very strong diplomatic position as an important regional ally for relevant nations such as the United States and even many European powers.
The United States considers Morocco a strategic military ally. This is clear from the existing cooperation in the military sphere, demonstrated by joint participation in the African Lion military manoeuvres, the largest on the African continent, organised by AFRICOM, and by public statements from prominent officials such as General Michael Langley, commander of the US Army's Africa Command, who, before the US House of Representatives, praised the North African country's ‘exemplary’ role, describing it as a ‘reliable and proactive partner and a regional leader in security and development’.
General Langley highlighted Morocco's efforts to train more than 1,200 African soldiers each year in various disciplines such as special operations, intelligence and military medicine. He also highlighted the Moroccan kingdom's ability to bring this training to other African countries, thanks to logistical resources provided by the United States.
This cooperation between the United States and Morocco will be strengthened from September 2025 with the opening of a Centre of Excellence for Peace Operations in Rabat, co-financed by the United States. This centre will be responsible for training thousands of African soldiers and organising summits on peace and security.
We will see whether Morocco's option as the headquarters of AFRICOM materialises. In this regard, the Senate is expected to approve a new commander for the US Army's Africa Command.
Michael Langley himself will be replaced in his post by General Dagvin Anderson, which is seen as a significant change within the AFRICOM leadership and will be relevant to the establishment of an autonomous military command for Africa within the US Army.
The establishment of a more autonomous US military command in Africa could serve to enhance the United States' military and strategic incursion into the African continent, and Morocco could be seen as an essential ally in this initiative. This strategy would serve to counterbalance the significant presence that China and Russia, two major rivals of the US in the global geopolitical arena, have gained in Africa in recent years.