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Paul Barril, French ‘Supergendarme’ Turned Mercenary, Has Died
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Paul Barril, a former French elite police officer, offered surveillance, manipulation, and security services to African dictators, including Omar Bongo of Gabon and Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Congo.
- After leaving the French gendarmerie in 1984, Barril founded a mercenary-security company called Secrets, providing equipment and security services across Africa, and was implicated by human rights groups in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
- Barril had a distinguished career in the GIGN, an elite French military police unit, participating in high-profile operations such as the 1979 hostage rescue during the Grand Mosque seizure in Mecca.
- He died on October 20 at age 80 in Antibes, France, after suffering from Parkinson’s disease, with his death announced by the French interior ministry.
