Chad Child Abduction Row

Guide Note: October 25, 2007: Authorities in Chad arrested aid workers attempting to fly 103 African children from the country. Six French aid workers, seven Spaniards and the crew of a plane have been charged with attempted kidnapping and fraud. A French group - Zoe's Ark - was behind the attempt to fly the children to Europe, where the group said it intended to place them with families. After investigation, it appears that virtually all of the children involved had been living with family members in villages and were not orphans of the Darfur conflict. Fast Facts:

1. Allegedly the aid workers bandaged the children to make them look injured and claimed they were orphans from Darfur
2. The case may impede aid efforts for hundreds of thousands of Darfur refugees as it increases local suspicions about the goodwill of humanitarian workers
3. The plane was stopped moments before it was scheduled to take off from Abeche
4. December 2007: The 6 aid workers were sentenced to 8 years hard labor after being found guilty
5. They are expected to serve the sentence in France