African Lion 2025 officially began in Tunisia on April 14, bringing together over 10,000 troops from more than 40 countries in what has become the largest U.S.–led military exercise on the African continent. Tunisia, hosting the initial phase through April 30, again plays a pivotal role in the exercise’s execution. Its geographic position, at the southern edge of the Mediterranean and on the doorstep of the volatile Sahel, makes it an ideal staging ground for large-scale live-fire drills, command-post simulations, intelligence-sharing sessions and humanitarian assistance training. This year’s exercise showcases American and NATO investment in regional security but also underscores a troubling paradox: Washington is deepening military ties with a host nation whose leadership is steering away from democratic norms.
What was once celebrated as the Arab Spring’s lone democratic success has backslid into authoritarian rule.
President Trump has prioritized rebuilding American military readiness and revitalizing alliances. African Lion 2025 falls squarely within this agenda, advancing interoperability between U.S. forces and partners across Africa and Europe. This collaboration includes elite units such as the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducting airborne insertion drills alongside Tunisian paratroopers, the Wyoming National Guard’s 84th Civil Support Team leading joint chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response exercises, and live-fire artillery exercises featuring the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. The sheer scale of the exercise sends a clear message to adversaries in Moscow and Beijing: the United States retains both the capability and the will to project power, safeguard allies and deter malign influence in Africa.
Yet Tunisia’s political environment under President Kais Saied casts a long shadow over these operational successes. Since assuming emergency powers in July 2021, Saied has methodically dismantled democratic institutions, sidelined elected bodies, muzzled independent media, and violated human rights under the pretext of combating corruption and terrorism. What was once celebrated as the Arab Spring’s lone democratic success has backslid into authoritarian rule. By continuing to treat Tunisia as a major non-NATO ally and funneling military cooperation through exercises like African Lion, the United States risks sending a mixed message: that geopolitical convenience outweighs support for the very democratic values Washington claims to champion.
It is essential to distinguish strategic necessity from political endorsement. Tunisia’s usefulness as a military partner derives from its airfields, ports and desert training grounds, not from the legitimacy of its current rulers. Washington must leverage the exercise to press for political reforms, conditioning future security assistance on tangible steps toward restoring judicial independence, protecting civil liberties and allowing free and fair elections. Failure to do so would cede the moral high ground to authoritarian competitors, who will gladly point out American hypocrisy as their own influence grows through opaque infrastructure loans and private military contractor deployments.
The U.S. should make clear that its cooperation is aimed at bolstering Tunisian military professionalism, not legitimizing political repression.
African Lion 2025 also embodies a broader contest of influence in Africa. Russia’s Wagner Group has entrenched itself in Mali, Sudan and the Central African Republic, offering military support in exchange for mineral concessions and political concessions. China continues to expand its presence through port deals, railway projects and even dual-use infrastructure that can support naval operations. In contrast, America’s approach—joint training, interoperability and combined humanitarian operations—demonstrates how partnerships built on shared values and mutual respect can deliver security dividends without imposing debt traps or propping up dictators. But that approach only works if Washington holds its partners to account.
Tunisian leaders will undoubtedly seek to capitalize on this exposure, portraying African Lion as validation of their government’s legitimacy and competence. The White House must resist this narrative. The U.S. should make clear that its cooperation is aimed at bolstering Tunisian military professionalism, not legitimizing political repression. Publicly linking future security grants, equipment transfers and training opportunities to progress on human rights benchmarks would recalibrate the relationship and signal to Saied’s regime that military cooperation has strings attached.
Ultimately, African Lion 2025 is an exercise in strategic balance. It demonstrates American resolve to partner with African nations for regional stability, counters authoritarian influence and enhances collective readiness. But it also poses a test of U.S. credibility: will Washington uphold its commitment to democracy while working with a partner whose leadership increasingly violates the rule of law? The answer will shape not only the outcome of this year’s exercise, but the future of U.S. engagement in North Africa and the Sahel. By training alongside Tunisian forces without ignoring Tunisia’s internal backsliding, the United States can maintain both its strategic interests and its moral authority.
Published originally on May 28, 2025.
