Photo By Staff Sgt. Dylan Murakami | Multinational partners finalize exercise plans during the Flintlock 26 Final Planning...... read more read more
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Representatives from more than 30 African, international, and U.S. special operations forces are finalizing plans for U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual SOF exercise, Exercise Flintlock, in Abidjan this week, Feb. 23-26.
Hosted by Ivorian Special Forces, the week-long planning event ensures all participating nations are synchronized for the exercise, scheduled for April of this year. This year’s iteration will train more than 1,000 participants across Côte d'Ivoire and Libya.
“Strong partnerships in Africa make America and the world safer and more prosperous,” said U.S. Embassy Abidjan Chargé d’Affaires Junaid "Jay" Munir. “To our Ivorian partners, your hospitality and leadership have elevated this exercise to a remarkable level. We are proud to work alongside you to build a safer future.”
Training events are designed to strengthen skills in countering terrorism, collaborating across borders and providing security. Planning and execution will emphasize respecting human rights, building trust with civilian populations and working with law enforcement organizations.
“The objective of this exercise is clear: strengthen trust between partners, improve the fluidity of exchanges and harmonize our information processing procedures,” said Brig. Gen. Lopoua Tibe Bi, Ivorian Special Operations commander. “We are affirming a modern, responsible and strategic vision of the action of special forces.”
Exercise Flintlock enhances our collective counterterrorism capabilities, fostering partners’ operational independence while building U.S. and international special operations forces readiness to confront shared threats and crises.
All questions or media inquiries regarding Flintlock 2026 should be directed to AFRICOM Public Affairs using their ‘Contact Us’ form on http://www.africom.mil/. For more information, visit https://www.africom.mil/what-we-do/exercises/flintlock or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/Flintlock.
| Date Taken: | 02.22.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2026 02:53 |
| Story ID: | 558625 |
| Location: | CI |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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