Morocco to host NATO DEEP training for African armies

Morocco is emerging as a pivotal center for military training catering to African armies. From late 2026 to early 2027, the kingdom is scheduled to host a session of NATO’s Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP), as reported on Wednesday, August 27, by Africa Intelligence.

Established in 2007, the DEEP initiative aims to bolster military education and training for personnel from NATO partner nations across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

With its strong connections to the Atlantic Alliance, Rabat officially joined DEEP in 2025. Morocco’s ambassador to the European Union, Ahmed Réda Chami, is spearheading strategic discussions with NATO regarding the organization of this session in the kingdom, according to the same source.

In NATO’s 2025 report, presented last April by Secretary General Mark Rutte, Morocco is highlighted as a key partner on the southern front. The kingdom is especially lauded for its active participation in the Mediterranean Dialogue framework.

The report also mentions a trilateral mechanism involving NATO, Morocco, and several African nations, aiming to enhance the skills and capabilities of African armed forces. The upcoming DEEP session in Morocco will occur within this context. In 2025, DEEP facilitated nearly 600 activities, engaging around 1,800 experts from NATO member countries.

Following the U.S.’s AMTEC, DEEP steps in

The announcement of Morocco hosting a DEEP session follows the signing, on July 13, of a memorandum of understanding between the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to establish the African Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC) in Tan-Tan.

By 2030, AMTEC is set to include three key components: a multidomain training area, a drone academy, and an innovation and experimentation center, all based in Tan-Tan, as confirmed by AFRICOM.

This development underscores Morocco’s growing military collaboration with the United States and NATO, increasingly focusing on training, innovation, and enhancing the capacities of African armies.

The recent African Lion exercise, held in Morocco from April 20 to May 8, 2026, in regions such as Agadir, Tan-Tan, Taroudant, Kenitra, and Ben Guerir, included drone training for approximately 20 military personnel from Morocco, Nigeria, and Ghana.

By hosting these programs and initiatives, Morocco reaffirms its ambition to become a regional hub for military training, exercises, and cooperation, supporting efforts to strengthen African armed forces.

The decision to hold a session of NATO’s DEEP programme in Morocco is a logical one. In recent years, the kingdom has signed military agreements with several African countries, including those still recognizing the «RASD», such as Ethiopia and Rwanda.

General Mohammed Berrid also participated in early July in Luanda, Angola, in the conference of chiefs of staff of the armed forces of 35 African nations. This year’s meeting was themed: «Leveraging our strengths, advancing regional security for sustainable prosperity.»