Assimi Goïta, the head of the military junta that governs Mali, visited Moscow on 28 and 29 October to attend the third Russia‑Africa Summit. During the trip he took part in a shooting exercise at a Russian army base, an event that was filmed and later broadcast on Mali’s national television channel, ORTM. According to the footage, Goïta observed the Russian troops in action before joining the exercise himself. He fired a total of four shots during the session. The broadcast also showed a woman who appeared to be an assistant; her presence attracted attention from viewers, though no official statement has identified her role. The summit, which brought together leaders from across Africa and Russia, focused on diplomatic and security cooperation. Goïta’s participation in the shooting exercise was presented as a demonstration of military collaboration between the two countries.
Article source: JeuneAfrique | Image credit: JeuneAfrique