Morocco war games end, security fears for Africa

A senior U.S. general warned of security fears in Africa as large-scale U.S.-led African Lion war games with American, African and European troops in Morocco came to a close on Friday.

African Lion war games, which lasted nearly two weeks, stretched across Morocco, a key U.S ally, with smaller parts held in Tunisia and Senegal.

General Stephen J. Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command said he was concerned about security situation across a band of Africa, from Sahel region in west to Horn of Africa.

He ted deadly attacks by al-Qaida and Islamic State-linked jihadis and al-Shabab.

Townsend told reporters, "That's why America should care, because that problem is going to continue to metastasise and eventually where it will go, problems will go once y take root in Africa, y'll spread to Europe and eventually United States."

"It may t be a threat to US homeland right w but it is definitely a threat to US interests in world," he added.

African Lion saw more than 7,000 troops from seven countries and NATO carry out air, land and sea exercises toger.

"It has been an exceptional exercise that has helped our interoperability, our joint capabilities, and provided readiness and a good opportunity to build cohesion across forces," said Major General Andrew Rohling, commander of U.S. Army's Sourn European Task Force Africa.

annual drills were skipped last year due to COVID-19 pandemic.

re was a hitch at start of this year's war games, with Spain withdrawing from war games citing budgetary reasons.

Press reports attributed move to Spain's poor relations with Morocco, a former key partner.

two countries have been at loggerheads since Spain took in leader of Polisario Front independence movement - Morocco's number one enemy - for COVID-19 treatment in a Spanish hospital earlier this year.

Polisario is fighting for independence for Western Sahara, a vast region that Morocco claims as its own.

During exercise, Morocco held some airborne operations near Western Sahara and t far from Polisario refugee camps in Tindouf, in neighbouring Algeria.

participating countries in African Lion were U.S., Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Italy, Nerlands and Britain.

Observers also attended from countries including Egypt, Qatar, Niger and Mali.