In this previously un transmitted photo, refugee women are seen in the Otash refugee camp on the outskirts of Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007. The U.N. warned this week that Sudan's government is increasing the pressure on Darfur civilians to leave many refugee camps where they had fled to avoid violence, and that it had evidence that government forces were chasing the refugees out of at least one camp, Otash, home to 60,000 people on the outskirts of south Darfur's capital, Nyala. (AP Photo/Alfred de Montesquiou) (Alfred De Montesquiou - AP)
UN disputes charity's Darfur orphans claim (click here)
5:00AM Saturday November 03, 2007
Chadian President Idriss Deby. Photo / Reuters
As Chad's President yesterday said he hoped some French and Spanish nationals detained for trying to fly African children to Europe could be freed soon, United Nations workers said most of the children were not Darfur orphans as claimed, but had been living with their families in eastern Chad.
Chad is holding nine French nationals and seven Spanish air crew after blocking an attempt by French charity Zoe's Ark to fly out 103 children for foster care by French and Belgian "host" families.
They were arrested in the town of Abeche last week and charged with abduction and fraud and face possible forced labour terms of up to 20 years if convicted.
UN officials said information from Red Cross interviews with the children contradicted statements by Zoe's Ark, which said they were sick and destitute orphans from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region....
At least the parents are being heard. It could be much worse and the separation of family could be lost to chaos and families would be broken up forever. That is not happening here and everyone advocating for families to remain together need to be congratulated. The children need to be returned to their parents and Darfur made secure for all people. It is too easy to rescues people, but, to protect them within their homes and native lands if a far nobler cause.
Charity's 'Darfur Orphans' Have Parents (click here)
By TOM MALITI – 1 day ago
N'DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Most of the 103 African children described as orphans from Sudan's Darfur region by a French charity that tried to fly them to Europe appear to have at least one living parent, U.N. agencies said Thursday.
The case prompted another African country, the Republic of Congo, to suspend all international adoptions, a decision one agency warned could have harmful repercussions for families seeking legitimate adoptions.
The French charity, calling itself Zoe's Ark, was stopped last week from flying the children from Chad to Europe, where the group said it intended to place them with host families.
Seventeen Europeans have been detained by Chadian authorities, including six French citizens who were charged with kidnapping. The group says its intentions were purely humanitarian.
Aid workers who interviewed the children at an orphanage in eastern Chad said most of them come from villages on the Chadian-Sudanese border region.
"Ninety-one of the children referred to a family environment made up of at least one adult person whom they consider as a parent," the U.N.'s Children Fund, the U.N. refugee agency and the Red Cross said in a joint statement....
By TOM MALITI – 1 day ago
N'DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Most of the 103 African children described as orphans from Sudan's Darfur region by a French charity that tried to fly them to Europe appear to have at least one living parent, U.N. agencies said Thursday.
The case prompted another African country, the Republic of Congo, to suspend all international adoptions, a decision one agency warned could have harmful repercussions for families seeking legitimate adoptions.
The French charity, calling itself Zoe's Ark, was stopped last week from flying the children from Chad to Europe, where the group said it intended to place them with host families.
Seventeen Europeans have been detained by Chadian authorities, including six French citizens who were charged with kidnapping. The group says its intentions were purely humanitarian.
Aid workers who interviewed the children at an orphanage in eastern Chad said most of them come from villages on the Chadian-Sudanese border region.
"Ninety-one of the children referred to a family environment made up of at least one adult person whom they consider as a parent," the U.N.'s Children Fund, the U.N. refugee agency and the Red Cross said in a joint statement....
Will the West convince Darfur rebels to negotiate? (click here)
Commentary by Chaalan Charif*
02-11-2007
The diplomatic to-ing and fro-ing continues in the Libyan city of Sirte after an inconclusive end to the peace talks on Darfur. There is still much be done before negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebels from the western provinces can begin.
Representatives of all the delegations have stayed behind in Sirte, while their leaders have flown off in all directions. Everyone is working hard to make it possible for the talks to resume at the beginning of December.
The international mediators are still hoping to get all the parties in the Darfur conflict around the table. As the Sirte peace conference has produced no concrete results, they are trying to continue the process through intensive contacts with the rebel leaders who boycotted the talks, and also with European and African governments and the US....
Commentary by Chaalan Charif*
02-11-2007
The diplomatic to-ing and fro-ing continues in the Libyan city of Sirte after an inconclusive end to the peace talks on Darfur. There is still much be done before negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebels from the western provinces can begin.
Representatives of all the delegations have stayed behind in Sirte, while their leaders have flown off in all directions. Everyone is working hard to make it possible for the talks to resume at the beginning of December.
The international mediators are still hoping to get all the parties in the Darfur conflict around the table. As the Sirte peace conference has produced no concrete results, they are trying to continue the process through intensive contacts with the rebel leaders who boycotted the talks, and also with European and African governments and the US....
