Chad president vows tough punishment over kidnapped children

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-29-2007 10:49

Sudanese children sing and clap during a gathering in Abu Shouq, northern Darfur, September 2007. Deby vowed to punish those responsible for a failed attempt by a French charity to fly out more than 100 children from Chad.(AFP)

Chadian police have arrested nine French nationals as they prepared to fly more than 100 children to France. The seven Spanish members of the charter plane's crew are also being held. Chad's president has promised to punish anyone involved in the plan to spirit children to Europe.

Chadian President Idriss Deby has travelled to the eastern city of Abeche where 103 children are being cared for after the attempt to fly them to France.

Idriss Deby said, "It's inadmissible in the 21st century. The entire world needs to witness this. We are going to take all the necessary steps, administrative and judicial to shed light on the kidnapping of the children from Chad and Sudanese refugees."

The French aid group L'Arche de Zoe, or Zoe's Arc, says it had arranged French host families for the children. It said the children are orphans from Sudan.