The story begins in July 1967 with Denard who has just staged a rebellion against President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu of the Congo giving a rousing speech to his mercenaries while looking worried when he reads a message from Paris.
There is much distrust between the members of the Katangese Gendarmerie who have returned from exile with Tshombe and their former enemies in the Armée Nationale Congolaise led by Mobutu who are uneasily fighting together against the Simbas.
Denard chooses to stay in the Congo after the Simba revolt is put down, and earns the respect through not the trust of Mobutu after he tells him that he wants to train the Armée Nationale Congolaise up to European standards.
Eventually, Denard together with the Belgian mercenary/planter Jean Schramme discover that Mobutu is planning their executions and decide to revolt to restore Tshombe with a promise of support from the governments of France and Belgium .
Denard launches his revolt in 1967 and then learns the French and Belgians have withdrawn their support at the last minute owing to American objections, leaving him to face the Armée Nationale Congolaise alone.
[2] The French critic Guillaume Fraissard praised the film, writing: "The difficulty of this kind of telefilms, inspired by real events, is to manage to draw an impassable line between hagiography and historical narrative.
[4] The French critic Isabelle Hanne gave the film a positive review, praising Zinga's performance as Mobutu, writing he "brilliantly embodies this Shakespearian and bloodthirsty figure.
Played by a superb and moustachioed Clovis Cornillac, the character is all rough: in love but an executioner, an adventurer but not political, a brave military leader and respected by his men, but humiliated by the pundits of French intelligence.