As part of strengthening the operational readiness of the North Africa Regional Capability, and with a view to enhancing the level of coordination between the various components of the capability in the execution of its missions, Algeria hosted the field exercise of this capability, dubbed “Salam North Africa II” from 17-29 May, 2025, at the Djelloul Abidate Infantry Higher School.

At the beginning of the exercise, from the headquarters of the 2nd Military Region Command in Oran, where he conducted a working and inspection visit, General Saïd Chanegriha, Algeria’s Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defence, Chief of People’s National Army Staff, delivered a speech via videoconference, the Algerian Ministry of National Defence said in a statement.

He welcomed the participants in the field exercise and conveyed greetings from the President of the Republic, Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of National Defence, emphasizing that this exercise is part of the commitments of the member states to support continental peace and security instruments, but also to strengthen regional military cooperation ties under the auspices of the African Union:

“It is a pleasure to welcome you all to Algeria, on the occasion of the launch of Exercise Salam North Africa III, which coincides with our celebration of Africa Day. This exercise is part of the implementation of our ongoing commitments to support continental peace and security mechanisms and to strengthen regional military cooperation ties under the banner of the African Union, with the aim of achieving the strategic objectives of peace and security in Africa, notably by working to make our continent more stable and prosperous. This is the objective pursued by my country, Algeria, which has the honor of having been elected, once again, as a member of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.”

“I also take this opportunity to convey to you the greetings of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of National Defence, who attaches great importance to the activation of African cooperation mechanisms, particularly in our shared geographical area of North Africa,” General Chanegriha added.

Major General Belkacem Hasnat, Chief of the Employment and Readiness Department of the General Staff of People’s National Army, then oversaw the launch of this exercise, in the presence of representatives of the Chiefs of Staff of the North Africa Regional Capability, the Executive Secretary of the North Africa Regional Capability, Mr. Ahmed Ahmeida Ettadjouri, alongside representatives and experts from the African Union Commission and the African Police Cooperation Mechanism (AFRIPOL), as well as units and personnel from the member countries of the North Africa Regional Capability.

“This exercise is an undeniable proof of the operational readiness and firm determination of the North African Regional Capability, especially since it comes shortly after the African Union Commission's communiqué confirming the full readiness of the Capability to carry out its assigned missions, in a context marked by accelerating international changes and the proliferation of internal crises on the continental level. This requires us today to redouble our efforts and combine common African capabilities, in fulfillment of the African principle: African solutions to African problems,” General Hasnat commented.

For his part, the Executive Secretary of the North Africa Regional Capacity stated that this exercise is part of the continuity of efforts aimed at the full activation of the African Standby Force, capable of meeting the aspirations of the African continent in terms of peace and security. He also welcomed Algeria’s considerable efforts in organizing and ensuring the success of this event.

This exercise, which was carried out over several planning and preparation phases before its implementation on the ground, aims to simulate a multidimensional peace support operation, in order to maintain a high level of readiness and ensure rapid and effective resilience in the face of urgent and sensitive situations.

At the end, all stages of the exercise took place within a framework of close coordination between the participants, which demonstrates the seriousness of the actions, both in terms of planning and execution, and confirms the high degree of professionalism demonstrated by the participants from different countries in managing various situations and scenarios, as part of peace support in conflict zones. (Source & Photo © Algerian Ministry of National Defence)