Alberto Balsalm
06-21-2006, 05:30 PM
COVERT attempts by President Chirac to exert influence over Africa were exposed by a French court yesterday, when it denounced his secret services for conniving with a band of mercenaries in a coup in the tiny Comoros Islands.
In a damning ruling, the Paris Criminal Tribunal said that the French authorities had given at least tacit approval to the 1995 coup led by Bob Denard, the best-known French soldier of fortune.
The judgment came as Denard, now 77, and 26 other defendants were found guilty of criminal association in connection with a military operation to oust Said Mohamed Djohar, the Comoros President, 11 years ago.
The court refused a prosecution demand to jail the plotters and instead handed out suspended sentences after hearing them claim that they were acting with the backing of M Chirac’s Government.
Although France has long been accused of secret operations to maintain its influence in Africa, the ruling constituted an unprecedented, public condemnation of these practices. It was particularly embarrassing for M Chirac, who has sought to portray himself as one of the Third World’s greatest advocates in the West.
“It is clear that the French secret services knew of the plan for a coup d’état conceived by Robert Denard, both its preparation and execution,” the court said.
“It is also evident that at the very least they did nothing to hinder it and that they therefore allowed it to reach its conclusion. As a consequence, that means political leaders must also have wanted it.”
Denard led 30 mercenaries who landed on the Indian Ocean islands in rubber dinghies on September 27, 1995, and captured M Djohar in his palace.
A week later M Chirac sent a 600-man force that put down the putsch but did not restore M Djohar to power.
Denard has Alzheimer’s disease and attended only the first day of the three-week trial in February. But in testimony read to the court, he said that he “never for one moment believed he was acting against the interests of my country — quite the contrary.”Maître Elie Hatem, Denard’s lawyer, said that the coup — codenamed “Eskazi” — was “controlled by French politicians. It was a pretext for France to intervene and get rid of a president.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2235653,00.html#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=World
In a damning ruling, the Paris Criminal Tribunal said that the French authorities had given at least tacit approval to the 1995 coup led by Bob Denard, the best-known French soldier of fortune.
The judgment came as Denard, now 77, and 26 other defendants were found guilty of criminal association in connection with a military operation to oust Said Mohamed Djohar, the Comoros President, 11 years ago.
The court refused a prosecution demand to jail the plotters and instead handed out suspended sentences after hearing them claim that they were acting with the backing of M Chirac’s Government.
Although France has long been accused of secret operations to maintain its influence in Africa, the ruling constituted an unprecedented, public condemnation of these practices. It was particularly embarrassing for M Chirac, who has sought to portray himself as one of the Third World’s greatest advocates in the West.
“It is clear that the French secret services knew of the plan for a coup d’état conceived by Robert Denard, both its preparation and execution,” the court said.
“It is also evident that at the very least they did nothing to hinder it and that they therefore allowed it to reach its conclusion. As a consequence, that means political leaders must also have wanted it.”
Denard led 30 mercenaries who landed on the Indian Ocean islands in rubber dinghies on September 27, 1995, and captured M Djohar in his palace.
A week later M Chirac sent a 600-man force that put down the putsch but did not restore M Djohar to power.
Denard has Alzheimer’s disease and attended only the first day of the three-week trial in February. But in testimony read to the court, he said that he “never for one moment believed he was acting against the interests of my country — quite the contrary.”Maître Elie Hatem, Denard’s lawyer, said that the coup — codenamed “Eskazi” — was “controlled by French politicians. It was a pretext for France to intervene and get rid of a president.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2235653,00.html#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=World