West Africa: Maneuvers Against the Backdrop of a Deteriorating Security Situation

By Jeremy Gaines and Christian Hiller von Gaertringen

Over 7,000 military personnel from over 30 countries, including NATO and several African nations, met in Morocco for the annual exercise African Lion. According to the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) based at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart-Möhringen, Germany, it was AFRICOM’s “largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen interoperability among U.S. forces, NATO Allies, and African partner nations.”

This time round, it was not a routine operation, such as takes place year after year. We do not know how you feel about it, but our immediate thought turned to several South African naval exercises with Russia and China. Is this US exercise a response to that?

In November 2019, the naval exercise, Mosi I, took place off the Cape of Good Hope around Cape Town. It was the first major trilateral drill between South Africa, Russia, and China. And was followed in February 2023 by the 10-day exercise Mosi II off Durban and Richards Bay, which was much more controversial, as it was held on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mosi II involved more than 350 members of South Africa’s forces. Russia deployed the frigate Admiral Gorshov, which carries Zircon hypersonic missiles, and the tanker Kama, while China was there with a destroyer, the Huainan, a frigate, the Rizhao, and the Kekexilihu support ship.

Charles Ray, Chair of the Africa Program at the US Foreign Policy Research Institute, commented on this exercise in April 2023 as followes:

“America’s response to the exercises will be complicated by the commitments made at the recent US-African Leaders Summit and the lack of cooperation between the administration and the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.”

In South Africa, the party Democratic Alliance decried the exercise as making South Africa part of Russia’s “propaganda show.”

Tricky partners for the next maneuver

Nevertheless, in January 2026, South Africa again hosted naval drills named Will for Peace, involving this time not just Russia and China, but, under a broader BRICS+ framework, including Iran (!), and observers from Brazil, Egypt and, Ethiopia. The exercise was officially focused on joint maritime safety, counter-piracy, interoperability, and protecting vital shipping lanes. But the Russian Navy deployed assets such as the Steregushchiy-class corvette RFS Stoikiy and the tanker Yelnya for the drills.

Here, a second parallel immediately came to mind: Does African Lion hold special significance this time around? Is the reason that Morocco is not only one of the United States’ closest allies in Africa, but also situated close to Mali and the Sahara—the scene of fresh clashes between militias and Russian-led troops? What are the intentions of the US in West Africa? Why the sudden interest in a mutual security agreement with Nigeria, for example, such as has been enshrined by the Christmas Day tomahawk attacks and the recent killing of a terrorist kingpin in Sokoto in north Nigeria?

Hardly surprisingly, Nigeria took part in the exercise given the size of its Sahel flank. However, the details is interesting: It participated with a focus on drone warfare. The country has suddenly found itself facing drone attacks by terrorists trained in Syria and has thus far had difficulty responding.

Ghana took part in the same section of the exercise. While Senegal focused on medical readiness efforts. So evidently the sub-text behind this year’s effort was also about ECOWAS member states shoring up their northern borderline to pre-empt incursions or be able to deal with the impact of them.

Finally, another question arises: Why should a blog that primarily focuses on business and finance in Africa concern itself with military maneuvers at all? In what follows, we will provide an answer to all these questions—to the best of our ability.

What awaits you behind the paywall:

• The Intentions of the USA in West Africa.

• A new situation in the Sahel.

• Why this should matter Africa investors.

Read more