#617 | Bob Denard: The Mercenary Who Ruled the Comoros (English Listening Practice)

In 1975, a French mercenary landed in the Comoros, a chain of small islands off East Africa, and decided he was going to run the place. Bob Denard staged four coups, converted to Islam, built a farm, and controlled the country from the shadows for over a decade. It was a story of Cold War deals, shifting loyalties, and one last coup that ended his run. Location and poverty of the Comoros Islands French rule and 1975 independence under Ahmed Abdallah First coup by French mercenary Robert Denard Denard's mercenary past and French Africa links Ali Soilih's radical rule and the Moissy youth militia 1978 coup restores Abdallah and Soilih killed Denard becomes Comorian farmer and leads Presidential Guard 1989 power struggle and suspicious death of Ahmed Abdallah 1995 final coup and French Operation Azalee intervention Denard's trial and death in 2007 Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/bob-denard --- You might like: 🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists ✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube] 📹 A look insi