The French mercenary, Bob Denard, has died, his family says. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
"I confirm that he has died," his sister Georgette Garnier told Reuters .
Denard, 78, was notorious for his involvement in leading various coup attempts in Africa.
He was convicted in French courts for his efforts to overthrow governments in Benin and the Comoros Islands, but both jail sentences were suspended.