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DODJI, Senegal — African Lion 2025 (AL25) officially opened May 4 at the Centre d’Entraînement Tactique 2 (CET2) training area here, marking the start of the Senegalese portion of U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual combined joint exercise.
Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by the Senegalese Armed Forces, the opening ceremony brought together multinational participants from Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, the Netherlands, Senegal and the United States.
The ceremony emphasized regional collaboration, military professionalism and a shared commitment to stability across West Africa.
“Globally, African Lion 2025 aims to strengthen security cooperation between the United States and its African partners to build a more proactive posture against transnational threats,” said Senegalese Col. Massamba Thiam, chief of operations for the Senegalese Army and senior Senegalese representative for the exercise. “For Senegal, this is an opportunity to unite efforts from neighboring countries, strengthen subregional security cooperation and reinforce complementary capabilities.”
Thiam noted that Senegal’s invitation to troops and observers from across West Africa underscores the importance of regional integration. He emphasized the exercise as a platform for improving operational planning and execution procedures, while also aligning threat assessments and security priorities among participating nations.
This year’s iteration of African Lion in Senegal focuses on a multinational field training exercise at CET2, in conjunction with a tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) training event at CET7.
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade join the Royal Netherlands Army and Senegalese Armed Forces to conduct interoperability drills, combined patrols and situational response scenarios throughout the month.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, U.S. Army Col. Matthias E. Greene, the senior U.S. officer in Senegal for AL25 and a New York Army National Guard officer, highlighted the value of shared commitment.
“Exercises like African Lion reflect our deepening partnerships and our shared interest in promoting peace and stability across the region,” Greene said. “This is a Senegal-hosted exercise, and we’re proud to support it—not only to train together, but to learn from one another and enhance our combined readiness.”
Greene commended the professionalism of participating forces and stressed the strategic importance of multinational burden sharing to address security concerns.
“Working closely with our Senegalese hosts and regional partners reinforces the importance of shared responsibility in addressing today’s security challenges,” Greene added. “African Lion is more than a military exercise—it’s a demonstration of collective resolve to advance cooperation, resilience, and peace.”
Netherlands Army Lt. Col. Peter A.M. van Dorst, senior Dutch officer in Senegal and member of the operations section of the 13th Light Armored Brigade, Netherlands Armed Forces, emphasized the value of the exercise’s joint environment and the opportunities it presents.
“For Dutch forces, the environment here offers a truly challenging and rewarding training experience—not just due to the climate, but because of the presence of so many international partners,” van Dorst said. “As the exercise unfolds, we look forward to integrating and training alongside U.S., Senegalese, Ivorian and Mauritanian forces as part of a true joint force.”
Van Dorn noted that the 42nd Brigade Reconnaissance Company—the main Dutch element—will conduct field and live-fire exercises alongside their Senegalese hosts.
“Our personnel are adapting well to the terrain, and we expect these joint drills to further strengthen interoperability and mutual understanding,” he said.
AL25 wrapped up in Tunisia, but continues across three other countries. Along with Senegal, Ghana and Morocco also play host to exercise events. In total, the exercise features over 10,000 participants from more than 50 nations, including seven NATO allies.
In Senegal, AL25 directly supports U.S. objectives to strengthen partner capacity, enhance interoperability and promote peace through strength. The activities throughout each host country work toward securing a stable Africa.
About African Lion 2025
AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win.
For all photos, videos and article throughout the exercise, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/AfricanLionEx
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
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