While North Africa becomes a strategic theater of competition between major powers, the United States reaffirms their confidence in Tunisia as a key partner to counter the growing influence of Russia on the continent. This is one of the strong messages of The hearing of July 21, 2025 before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on the occasion of the appointment of Lieutenant-General Dagvin RM Anderson at the head of US Africa Command (Africom).
In his intervention, General Anderson called for geopolitical realignment in North Africa:
“The United States Should also Strive to Reorient Algeria Away from its historic dependance on russia, and to prevent libya from serving as an access point for russian malign actions and expansion. »»
(It is in the interest of the United States to promote a strategic inflection of Algeria, traditionally aligned with Moscow, and to contain the use of Libya as a basis of Russian expansion or interference.)
In this context, Tunisia emerges as a reliable anchor For American interests, both in terms of security cooperationof regional trainingand Information sharing.
Tunisia: model and lever
It is in this sense that General Anderson has appointed Tunisia, alongside Morocco, as one of the two African partners “Willing and Capable Allies and Partners” (Allies and voluntary and capable partners) of the United States. He praised their role as ” Security Exporters (Security exporters) in Africa, in particular for the formation of partner armies in the Sahel region.
This recognition is a continuation of bilateral programs initiated for several years: military assistance, support for the modernization of forces, and joint exercises within the framework of the fight against terrorism.
An alliance against transversal threats
Hearing also discussed the major challenges faced by Africomconcerns that resonate strongly with Tunisian realities:
- Anti -terrorism : Africom’s commitment to counter terrorist threats to Africa, especially those from groups operating in the Sahel, is a Shared priority with Tunisiawhich has direct experience in the fight against extremism.
- Great powers competition : Discussions on the growing influence of China and Russia on the continent underline The importance for countries like Tunisia to choose partnerships based on transparency and mutual respectaligned on democratic values and an international order based on rules.
- Stability and governance : The will of Africom of support stability and reinforce governance in African nations corroborates Tunisian efforts to consolidate its democratic institutionsdespite the internal tensions.
What it means for Tunis
This American posture could translate in the coming months by:
- A Reinforcement of military assistance and expertise sharing.
- Of the increased investments in cybersecuritycommand systems and maritime surveillance.
- A reinforced diplomatic role of Tunisia in Libyan and Sahelian files, in coordination with Washington.
In shortwhile the United States seeks to contain Russian expansion in North Africa and to reshape its architecture of alliances, Tunisia appears as the Pivot partner of a double relaxation stabilization strategy: security and political. Recognition which, if it is accompanied by concrete commitments, could reposition Tunisia at the heart of regional balances.
Read also: Interview between a high -level military delegation and the head of the Africom command
