Bob Denard

Who was Bob Denard?

Colonel Robert "Bob" Denard, sometimes known under the aliases Gilbert Bourgeaud and Saïd Mustapha Mahdjoub, was a French soldier and mercenary. He was known for having performed various jobs in support of Françafrique for Jacques Foccart, in charge of French president Charles de Gaulle's policy in Africa. Having fought in Algeria during the Algerian War, he then took part in the Katanga secession effort in the 1960s and fought in many African countries including Congo, Angola, Rhodesia, and Gabon. Between 1975 and 1995, he participated in four coup attempts in the Comoro Islands. It is widely believed that his adventures had the implicit support of the French state, even after the 1981 election of the French Socialist Party candidate, François Mitterrand, despite moderate changes in France's policy in Africa. He was the father of eight children and married seven times, after converting to Islam.