Africa charity workers charged with kidnapping

Other agencies alerted authorities
Established French aid and adoption agencies raised questions about how the group could legally and feasibly organize adoption of children from Darfur, and alerted French judicial authorities to their questions about the group, according to French newspaper reports.

The French Foreign Ministry in August warned families to be careful about involvement in the group's operation, given the sensitivity of the situation in and around Darfur and the legal questions around international adoption.

Still, some 300 families reportedly signed up to adopt or foster children, and many were waiting at a French airport last week for the children when they heard members of the group had been arrested. Media reports said some of the children wore phony bandages to make them look injured and in need of help.

French news reports have said the group raised and spent 550,000 euro (about $792,798 U.S.)for the thwarted operation, including the costs of chartering the airplane. The group's lawyers reject accusations they were pedophiles or organ traffickers, Christophe Letien, spokesman for the charity, insisted its intentions were merely humanitarian.

‘People of good faith’
"The team is made up of firefighters, doctors and journalists," he said at a news conference. "It's unimaginable that doubts are being cast on these people of good faith, who volunteered to save children from Darfur."

Gilbert Collard, a lawyer for the group, said the charges against his clients were less severe than he had feared, given harsh comments by Deby.

"Now we are going to work with Chadian lawyers and contest all the elements against them, one by one," he said. "We are entering difficult territory, but one that is now clearly defined."

French Justice Minister Rachida Dati said France and Chad had a judicial agreement that would enable the African country to return the French nationals home to face trial, but added that Chad had not yet chosen to do so.

Andreani, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said Tuesday that France was sending a doctor and legal adviser to meet with the group's detained members.

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