On May 2, a serious incident occurred at the Cap Draa training ground near the coastal city of Tan Tan, as reported by the US Africa Command (Africom). A US soldier has gone missing during the multinational military exercise known as "African Lion." This prompted an immediate and extensive search and rescue operation, initiated by the United States in collaboration with Morocco and other nations participating in the exercise.
Africom confirmed in an official statement that the incident is currently under investigation and that search efforts are ongoing. The exercise, which commenced in April and involves four countries—Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal—was scheduled to conclude in early May. The soldier's disappearance occurred during the final phase of the training program, raising significant concern among participants.
The African Lion exercise has been held annually since 2004 and stands as the largest joint military exercise conducted by the US on the African continent. It regularly includes high-ranking military officials from the US and its key allies in the region. Official representatives from the US military emphasize that this annual multinational cooperation exercise serves as a vital forum to enhance regional security cooperation and improve the readiness of participating forces for global crises.
As reported by vietnam.vn.
