Could media coverage of the Algerian army's participation as an observer in African Lion 2025, alongside Israeli and Moroccan forces, have prompted a reversal in less than 24 hours? While U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) had initially announced the official launch of the African Lion 2025 military exercise, scheduled to begin on April 14 in Tunisia, with Algeria listed as one of the observer countries, a revised version later removed it from the list. Algeria had been listed as an observer alongside Belgium, India, Qatar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. However, as reported by Yabiladi on Thursday, the 2025 edition of African Lion now includes the participation of Israeli military forces in Morocco as part of large-scale joint exercises. Algeria's withdrawal comes despite several signs of diplomatic openness. Last January, General Michael Langley, head of AFRICOM, visited Algiers for his third official trip. During this visit, a military memorandum of understanding was signed, fueling speculation about a potential strategic rapprochement. In addition, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hinted at a possible shift in Algeria's stance towards Israel in a February interview with French media, though he stopped short of suggesting full normalization. The prospect of participating in African Lion could have appeared as a subtle step toward easing relations. For the United States, African Lion remains a key military interoperability exercise on the continent. This 20th edition, the largest ever organized, will involve over 10,000 soldiers from more than 40 countries, including seven NATO members. It will feature land, air, maritime, cyber, and space operations, alongside humanitarian and medical components. The joint presence of Moroccan, American, and Israeli forces in the same theater of operations underscores the shifting dynamics of regional alliances since the Abraham Accords.
