The United States should help boost Morocco’s military-industrial capability to counter the threat of Iranian destabilization via Algeria in Africa and the Middle East, says a Washington-based think tank.
In an Op-Ed published by Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA, retired army Gen. Steven Blum and policy analyst Samuel Millner stress the importance of the annual Moroccan-American military exercise “African Lion”, affirming that American support to the burgeoning Israeli-Moroccan partnership can help address Africa’s great power and violent extremist challenges as well as unlock the continent’s promise.
The analysis also shows that Morocco has been a leader in counterterrorism for many years, particularly within the U.S-led war against terror.
If properly paired with Israeli counterterrorism expertise, the North African Kingdom is uniquely positioned to be a bulwark against terrorism in the Sahel and in Francophone Africa, where Morocco’s regional and Islamic credibility make it a fitting partner to take over from withdrawing French peacekeepers, underline the experts of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
The analysis recalls that Africa has seen a significant rise in violent extremist activity. This has led to instability in African countries and opened the door for U.S. rivals. The Sahel has become the global epicenter of jihadi extremist activity — with violent extremist organizations seizing territory and local economies, fomenting displacement crises, and compelling threatened regimes to turn to Russian and Chinese assistance. Iran also profited from this trend by supplying Islamic violent extremist groups throughout Africa, including Somalia and West Africa.
They also stated that Morocco is now the largest source for foreign direct investment in West Africa, surpassing even rising Chinese capital. By crowding out Chinese investments, an extension of Chinese military power, Morocco is helping to roll back China’s implicit challenge to U.S. security interests and local autonomy in these areas.
Africa has emerged to be a key lynchpin in the global strategic balance. The proliferation of violent extremist groups and renewed strategic competition threaten the integrity of African states as well as key U.S. strategic interests.
At the same time, these challenges present an opportunity for Morocco, America’s oldest treaty ally and a historical Maghreban power, to come into its own as a regional leader and stability provider with the help of newfound Israeli technical and security support, says the analysis.
Following decades during which the United States’ focus has been diverted to other regions, U.S. competitors have achieved significant military entrenchment in Africa at the expense of the stability and political-economic independence of African countries.
The two experts of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America urge the Biden administration to uphold Trump-era commitments to Morocco’s autonomy plan offered for the Sahara under its sovereignty and increase funding to help Israel and Morocco rapidly scale up their partnership in security, not to mention critical stability-providing domains like food, water and energy security.
Source: north africa post
