The Central African Republic is seeking Russian military aid to rebuild the country’s army and tackle raging militant groups, the country’s President Faustin-Archange Touadera said in an interview aired by the Afrique Media channel. “Russian instructors training our armed forces will greatly strengthen their effectiveness in combating plunderers,” he said, adding that the Russian private sector is also seeking to invest in the country’s infrastructure and education. Just ahead of the interview airing, UN peacekeepers deployed in the country clashed with militants in the PK5 district of the capital Bangui. A UN patrol exchanged fire with unknown assailants on Saturday evening in the Muslim enclave, which is a stronghold of multiple so-called “self-defense” armed groups.