Senior military officers from nearly 30 African nations, the United States, and NATO are currently meeting in Rabat, Morocco, for the 7th Africa Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference (ASELC).
The high-level gathering, which began Tuesday, is a three-day event focused on building stronger military leadership, promoting education, and enhancing cooperation across the continent.
Organized by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in close partnership with Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, this year’s edition is themed ‘Resilience, Adaptation, Transformation.’
It brings together experienced military leaders to exchange strategies, address common challenges, and explore ways to strengthen operational effectiveness across borders.
The Rabat conference provides a platform for sharing professional insights and real-world lessons, particularly on how to prepare enlisted ranks for emerging threats and regional instability.
It also highlights the growing importance of cooperation among African militaries, as well as with international partners, to build a safer and more stable continent.
This year’s meeting follows Morocco’s active participation in the 2025 African Chiefs of Defense Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya.
That event, also co-organized by AFRICOM, focused on promoting unity and long-term security efforts across Africa.
The back-to-back conferences underscore the shared commitment of African nations and their partners to build a collaborative approach to defense and peacekeeping.
Morocco continues to play a central role in U.S.-Africa military cooperation. Since 2008, the country has hosted AFRICAN LION, one of the continent’s largest annual military exercises.
The drill brings together American and Moroccan troops along with forces from several African, European, and NATO member countries, all working together to improve joint readiness and interoperability.
As a strategic ally, Morocco holds a unique status as America’s only African partner with a formal free trade agreement. It is also recognized as a Major Non-NATO Ally, which highlights the depth of its defense relationship with Washington.
