 In a recently independent African state, whites still hold major positions in the administration: the brutal mercenary Tristan is in charge of the army; the cynical police commissioner Orlaville monitors the manoeuvres of the establishment; the director of the airport acts as factotum for Modimbo, the treacherous minister of information. As for trafficker Gravenoire, he is well-placed to grab an exclusive contract for the uranium mines of the country. All of them openly despise the black population and its weak government. Only health minister Doumbé is trying a bit impulsively to protect the interests of his country. When UNESCO delegate Avit Laurençon arrives, he is immediately entangled in a web of intrigue and passion in which his wife Laurence plays a significant role.