This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7283243.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Chad's 'orphans' returning home Chad's 'orphans' returning home
(about 2 hours later)
The government of Chad has given permission for 103 children who were caught up in a trafficking scandal to be returned home, Unicef says. Chad has given permission for 103 children who were caught up in a trafficking scandal to be reunited with their families, Unicef says.
Six French aid workers were convicted last year of trying to take the children to Europe, saying they thought they were orphans from Darfur. Six French aid workers were convicted of trying to abduct them, describing them as orphans from war-torn Darfur.
The children will be returned to their families from an orphanage in Chad as soon as possible, Unicef says. The children have been staying in an orphanage in Chad, and are to be handed over to relatives in the coming days.
The aid workers have been returned to France to serve out their jail terms. Their return home has been delayed until Chadian officials could indentify the correct guardians, Unicef says.
They said they had been tricked into thinking the children they were preparing to fly to France were Sudanese orphans from Darfur. The UN agency said the French charity involved, Zoe's Ark, had left very little paperwork about the children's identities.
However, most of the children were found to be from Chad, which borders the war-torn western Sudanese region, and had parents who were still alive. Compensation
Some of their parents told the BBC last year they thought their children were being taken to stay in a nearby town to go to school. The scandal emerged when it was revealed that most of the 21 girls and 82 boys were from Chad, and had relatives who were still alive.
During their trial in the Chadian capital N'Djamena last year, the aid workers said they had been tricked into thinking the children were from the troubled Sudanese province of Darfur.
The six have since been returned to France to serve out their jail terms.
The case led to several anti-French protests in Chad, a former French colony.The case led to several anti-French protests in Chad, a former French colony.
The French army last month helped government forces fight off a rebel attack on the capital, N'Djamena. The French army last month helped government forces fight off a rebel attack on N'Djamena.
Chadian President Idriss Deby says he will consider pardoning the aid workers on condition the children's families receive compensation.