Damanga Calls for Thorough Investigation of Chad Kidnapping

November 26, 2007

Please consider this as a moral issue that needs to be thoroughly investigated by the International Community; Chad should work with them in holding the persons involved accountable through a fair trial. The Zoe's Ark organization took advantage of these innocent kids and deceived them by giving them sweets and attracting them secretly to lead them to the airport. This is not something normal. They knew what they were doing, and they might have been doing this for a long time, and not only to kids of the Darfuri refugees in Chad. It is possible that the Zoe’s Ark organization has done more kidnapping in the past before they were discovered by Chadian authorities. For many reasons this situation needs further investigation. Some questions that will need to be answered are:

1. How many trips made by this organization over this past year?
2. How long have they been working in Chad and what other activities have they conducted?
3. We would like answers and explanations from Zoe’s Ark, the Chadian government and France as well.

Damanga was shocked by this terrible news. And at the same time, we were very disappointed by the comments made by France’s President Sarkozy when he said: the Chadian government has to release the kidnappers immediately, regardless of the charges brought up against them. And he added that since they are of French nationality, he will do anything to secure their release, despite their criminal acts against these innocent kids of Darfur, or even Chadian children. This makes no difference because the crime is the same whether they were Darfuri children or Chadian children. President Sarkozy’s attempt to secure release for the kidnapers is in itself against the law. Damanga would like to emphasize that there is nobody above the law. And if anyone commits crimes against innocent human beings, such a person has to face the law and has to be treated equally like anyone else. Even if Sarkozy commits any criminal act he has to be held accountable and charged. No excuse or double standard. We can't allow slavery to come back again in the twenty-first century. Justice has to be served, and immediately.

Damanga greatly appreciates Chad’s efforts in discovering the kidnappers, and we urge Chadian authorities to work with transparency and go forward to treat them fairly according to the law and charge those responsible. They should also make sure this does not happen again. We hope also that the International Community supports Chad and provides them with all the help needed to enforce the law and protect the innocent refugees from the Janjaweed Arab Militia and their sponsor, the Sudanese government, from attacks across the border.

Damanga believes that the only way to stop these travesties and crimes against humanity is by implementing Resolution 1769 and sending the 26 thousand UN Peace keepers immediately to Darfur. Then this genocide will end for ever and the criminals who perpetrated the genocide and crimes against humanity and war crimes MUST be held accountable and sent to the ICC, the International Criminal Court, to be charged. It is important for the UN to send independent teams to Chad and France to investigate further about those missing kids from over a couple of years ago and situations where they have been disappeared.

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy is very concerned about the refugees who have been victimized even when they have fled a hell, in search of a safe haven. It is very painful and unbelievable.