AFRICOM commander 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.