AFRICOM relocation to Morocco scrapped over cost concerns, says report

The plan to relocate the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters to Morocco has been abandoned due to the extremely high costs involved, according to several media outlets, quoting a recent report by Jeune Afrique.

Citing sources close to the U.S. Department of Defense, the report mentioned that the current plan is not to move the headquarters to Morocco but to return it to the United States, in line with other U.S. commands except for European Command.

It stressed that this step aims both to reduce costs and to promote job creation in the U.S., objectives that align with policies of the Trump administration.

This echoes the position of General Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command, who on June 12, 2025, dismissed relocating the headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany, to Morocco.

General Langley said, “from the operational perspective, the cost-benefit analysis, the benefit of moving to Morocco, would not exceed the cost,” in response to a question from Congressman Abraham Hamadeh during the House Armed Services Committee hearing titled “U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa.”

“From a cost analysis perspective, I think we are advantageous of where we’re right now when we look at the overall cost,” he justified, stressing that they would not benefit from moving their headquarters onto the African continent.

The possibility of moving AFRICOM’s headquarters to Morocco gained attention after General Dagvin Anderson praised the country as “Africa’s most capable partner in promoting security and stability,” highlighting its political stability, strategic location between Africa and Europe, and role in hosting U.S. military exercises.

Earlier rumors suggested that Rabat had offered several cities to host the headquarters, while the U.S. reportedly favored Kenitra or Ksar El Kebir for technical and historical reasons.

In February, the Spanish newspaper La Razon reported that Morocco appeared to be the most serious candidate after plans to move the headquarters to Spain faded.

The country’s political stability and secure environment make it an ideal location for AFRICOM operations. Additionally, strong military ties between the U.S. and Morocco, including joint exercises like “African Lion,” have reinforced this consideration.

The idea of relocating AFRICOM to Africa has been brought up numerous times in the past, but has been blocked by members of the committee who have argued that AFRICOM is currently located in Germany because they don’t know where else to put it.