US generals head to Tunisia ahead of major military exercise
The Pentagon aims to bolster partnerships in North Africa with the African Lion exercise this summer.
Two senior United States Army commanders will arrive in Tunisia on Wednesday to meet with local officials ahead of a planned multinational military exercise in North Africa.
Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the commander of all US Army forces in Europe and Africa, and Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling, head of the Southern Europe Task Force, will meet with senior officials in Tunis.
Their visit will be the first official US delegation to North Africa since President Joe Biden took office last month. The trip comes a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced official travel to foreign policy priorities. While there, the commanders will meet with the head of the Tunisian army’s land forces, Gen. Mohamed El Ghoul.
“We’re very excited. Tunisia is an extremely important partner of the United States,” Cavoli told reporters by phone Tuesday, adding, “We’re going to become acquainted with his operations [and] his modernization investment programs.”
