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Nov
2
Europeans Try to Kidnap Chadian Children From Their Families
Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Family Issues, International Racism, Race and Racism by Rachel
I first heard about this case when I was listening to BBC radio on Tuesday. I tuned in during the middle of of this story, and it seemed so bizarre that I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Well, no I go the chance to hear the whole story. It turns out that some foreign aid groups tried to take a group of 103 children out of the country. The aid workers are now accused of child trafficking and violating international laws.
Some members of the NGO Children Rescue/Arche de Zoe have been arrested for attempting to take the 21 girls and 82 boys – the youngest being about a year old and the oldest about 10 – out of Chad. The agency workers were French. Three journalists who were travelling with the volunteer workers and the Spanish crew who were to fly them back to France are also being held. In Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, a prosecutor on Wednesday also charged Jacques Wilmart, a Belgian pilot involved in the affair, with “complicity in abduction”, before sending him to jail.
Zoe’s Ark says it wanted to rescue children from Darfur, but French officials and UN aid workers say they believe many were from Chad and were not orphans.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called the attempt to separate the more than 100 young Chadian children from their parents and then take them to France for adoption an “illegal and totally irresponsible move.” The UN said the children had family in the country.
“They are not orphans and they were not sitting alone in the desert in Chad, they were living with their families in communities,” Annette Rehrl of U.N. refugee agency UNHCR told Reuters in Abeche.
UNICEF spokesperson Veronique Taveau told journalists in Geneva that what happened had violated international rules, such as The Hague Convention on international adoption and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Taveau said the case was not an isolated incident but one that was highly visible because of the size of the group of children.
L’Express reports the Europeans offered sweets and biscuits to encourage the children to leave their homes.
“My parents had gone to work in the fields. As we were playing some Chadians came and said here are some sweets, why don’t you follow us to Adre and then we’ll take you home. We were taken to the hospital in Adre,” said a young boy who gave his name as Osman. Adre is a town on the Chad-Sudan border.
“We spent seven days in Adre and I’ve been here in Abeche for more than one month. We were well fed by the whites, there was always food. I would like to go back to find my parents,” he told reporters at the Abeche orphanage where the children are being cared for by local and international aid workers.
Many European media outlets were putting a slightly more favorable spin on this, but as more information comes out, these so called aid groups are not looking good at all. The UN has said that most of these children were not orphans, which they found out from interviewing the older children. Now many of the children are separated from their families, and there are concerns that the youngest children may not be reunited because they are too young to talk. Needless to say this is not going over well with people all over Africa. As the International Herald Tribune article cited in this paragraph notes:
The scandal has sparked outrage and condemnation across Africa, where it has a deep resonance from the colonial era, when slave traders, missionaries and colonial officials blithely separated African families with little regard to their wishes. In Congo, government officials suspended all adoptions by foreigners to examine their procedures more carefully, according to The Associated Press, and protesters angry about the attempted kidnappings took to the streets in Chad.
The scandal has also raised tensions between Chad and France just as the European Union begins deploying a peacekeeping force in the region aimed at shoring up Chad, which has been increasingly drawn into the four-year-old conflict in neighboring Darfur.
This history is one reason why adoptions by Westerners are not common in African countries. Incidents like this contribute to the destruction black families, and I suspect these aid workers felt no need to respect the rights of poor black African families.1
- Why oh why am I having flashbacks to this old Rachel’s Tavern post/comment? I was so angry at that woman. I could barely contain myself. [back]
Comments
28 Responses to “Europeans Try to Kidnap Chadian Children From Their Families”
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This is the kind of stuff that leads to serious violence. It would be in the best interest of all these aid groups to address this situation immediately. Delays are certain to cost lives and break many bridges of goodwill which may have been established over time.
I have precious little personal use for European or white American philanthropists UNTIL I’ve figured out the economics behind the work. In this case, the cost-benefit analysis is clearing up. Sometimes it isn’t just best to look a gift horse in the mouth – sometimes it’s best to bust a cap in the ass of that horse.
The story is extremely bizarre and disturbing.
It also kind of highlights how European immigration inequalities mirror U.S. ones… young “orphan” children, very welcome; adults who can work, less welcome; intact families, no welcome at all.
“Would-be foster parents in France had paid several thousand dollars each to receive a child and some have expressed anger at the child trafficking charges, hurt at the outrage and hope that any trial will take place in France.”
What are the odds that these whites were taking these young chidren to Europe for child-sex slavery?
[...] Rachel looks at the recent attempt by aid workers representing a European NGO to take 103 purportedly orphaned [...]
I kept hearing this on NPR today as I was running errands, but I never got the whole story. WTF were they thinking, and how common is this?
Are you suggesting that Europeans have a proclivity towards child sex slavery?
[...] Either later today or tomorrow, I’ll follow with an Africa specific blogwatch (including the European aid workers accused of kidnapping Chadian children). [...]
Where are the high profile celebrities whose actions only helped create a situation like this?
Are you sure celebrities created this, or did they take advantage of something that already existed?
Oh, come on, Fahren. That’s like saying that if, say, Oprah goes to the bank and is photographed taking a large sum of money out of her account, she’s responsible for someone else’s subsequent decision to rob a bank. Srsly.
Has anyone heard of the story of the Great Arizona Child Abduction? The story: Back in 1904, Irish children were sent out west on the legendary ‘Orphan Trains’ by the Sisters of Mercy in New York. They were sent to good Catholic families, which in Arizona, would be Mexicans.
When the whites discovered these blue-eyed children were going to MEXICANS, they stole the children away, BY LAW and had the government uphold the act. Amazing story:
“Women initiated both sides of this confrontation. Mexican women agreed to take in these orphans, both serving their church and asserting a maternal prerogative; Anglo women believed they had to “save” the orphans, and they organized a vigilante squad to do it.”
And this story reminds me of that, a century later.
This ought to be an outrage. First world nations think they have a right to take children from countries of color without consulting the parents whatsoever.
Stephanie B.
This is messed up. Thanks for the story.
Were any “first world nations” involved, or just the NGO?
Stephanie:
*French officials say it was probably illegal.
*UNICEF says it was probably illegal.
*The Hague convention probably bans it.
*The European media’s main problem seems to be putting a “slightly more favorable” spin on this.
So Europe, and other nations, are against this. This was an action of a small and independent group of people. It’s not an action taken by France, for chrissakes.
Blaming this on “first world nations” is as ludicrous as coming to conclusions about “Africans” because of the actions of 100 people from Chad.
Ann: Sex slaves? That seems like a bizarre question. I think the odds of a group of 1-10 year old mixed-gender kids being taken as sex slaves–into France, of all places–are probably close to zero. But hey, maybe I’m wrong; what do you think the odds are?
Temple 3 said, “It would be in the best interest of all these aid groups to address this situation immediately. Delays are certain to cost lives and break many bridges of goodwill which may have been established over time.”
Yeah, I think it is in the best interests of the legitimate charity groups to speak out against these people. This could have really damaging effects on these legitimate organizations and the people they work with.
I’m very concerned about this. Unfortunately, way too many “charity” efforts in poor countries end up being condescending, racist, and classist. I guess in this case you can add criminal.
Sailorman said, “Ann: Sex slaves? That seems like a bizarre question. I think the odds of a group of 1-10 year old mixed-gender kids being taken as sex slavesinto France, of all placesare probably close to zero. But hey, maybe Im wrong; what do you think the odds are?”
Well if you read some of the articles, it seems that trafficking children as sex slaves isn’t as uncommon as we would like to think. I don’t think they were doing that is this case, but it isn’t unreasonable for that to come up. In this case, I think these people were kidnapping these kids to “adopt” them out to wealthy Europeans.
Roslyn said, “WTF were they thinking, and how common is this?”
I don’t know how common or uncommon this is, but I do think it is becoming more common. The international adoption industry is wrought with ethical dilemmas, and unscrupulous people. It’s gotten really bad in places like Guatemala, where they have started giving DNA tests to see if the children actually match the purported mothers. People were kidnapping babies, and I worry that as the “demand” for babies to adopt becomes greater, these cases are going to happen more and more.
This is part of the reason that international adoptions are all but banned in most African countries.
Sailorman, I think everybody knows this wasn’t sponsored by the French government, but there is a history of groups doing this kind of thing. Furthermore, ou are going to see people coming out of the woodwork defending these people. Read the comment in the footnote of this post. Unfortunately, There are many people out there like this woman.
In fact, here in the US this happened to many American Indian children, and adoption outside of Indian tribes is still banned today because of these types of practices.
Daisy, That is a really interesting story. I had never heard about it.
Dana, I think Farhen is talking about Madonna, and sure took a child who was purported to be an orphan. Come to find out the child had a Dad.
Certainly Madonna, didn’t make this folks do this, but she has helped contribute to this type of attitude toward African children.
DNA testing has been performed in Guatemala
for quite a few years.
The problems are basically that an attorney
reaping huge fees is a big part of the process,plus the current system may be promoting women to place babies
for adoption as a way of earning money.
The whole point of adoption should be finding
homes for children who really need them, not
finding babies for middle class Americans
who want a baby.
What is interesting to me is that the fees
for an adoption from Guatemala are the most
expensive of international adoption, very
young babies are/were available and the
time frame used to be extremely fast.
Unicef’s most recent position is that the
focus should be placed on women’s health
and reproductive rights, which should in turn
benefit the children.
“Ann: Sex slaves? That seems like a bizarre question. I think the odds of a group of 1-10 year old mixed-gender kids being taken as sex slavesinto France, of all placesare probably close to zero. But hey, maybe Im wrong; what do you think the odds are?
You are wrong, and the odds are high.
In this supposed case of “adoptions”, these little children were KIDNAPPED to be sent to France for adoption. The sexual abuse and mistreatment of people of Black/African origin is more rampant than you will ever want to know:
“UN troops face child abuse claims
“Haiti investigation
Children have been subjected to rape and prostitution by United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti and Liberia, a BBC investigation has found:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6195830.stm
*********************************************
“UN Investigates Sex Abuse Charges In Ivory CoastThe United Nations said on Friday it is investigating allegations of widespread sexual abuse by a unit of peacekeepers in Ivory Coast:
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=63871
*********************************************
Those so-called UN peace keepers were there to give aid and humanitarian help to the people of Haiti and the Ivory Coast, instead they mistreated and sexually abused them. This so-called adoption agency behaved no better in its callous disregrard for the parental rights of the families of these little children. Europeans have a long sick history of kidnapping and “adopting” black people into a life of slavery and forced sexual servitude.
France in the 21ST Century is no different.
That may not be the case in these so-called adoptions, but, that does not negate the fact that non-white life is held in contempt and total disregard by Europeans. How would you feel if a gang of blacks ran off with YOUR children without your written and verbal consent?
Black life is not just held cheaply in America; it is held cheaply all around the world.
So, it is okay for whites to just blithely take little African children from their families because they are what—non-humans with no rights that whites are bound to respect?
“I think the odds of a group of 1-10 year old mixed-gender kids being taken as sex slavesinto France, of all placesare probably close to zero.”
Wow.
So, let me get this straight.
France is a European country that has NEVER done anything wrong against people of color? France never condoned and participated in the slave trade against black Africa?
France never mistreated the North African people during its rule of Algeria and Morocco? France never mistreated black slaves in barbaric atrocities in Haiti?
Wow.
So, France (meaning its officials and citizens) is not capable of doing wrong whatsoever, to hear you tell it?
“Sex slaves? That seems like a bizarre question.”
No, Sailorman, not in any bloody way is it a bizarre question.
I’d say under the circumstances of France’s long history of inhumane mistreatment of black people in her former colonies, I am very suspect of France having any kind of humane regard for these little black children.
The country of France is not some blameless, spotless nation that does not have just as much blood on its hands as does America, England, and all the Western nations which have so vampirishly blood-sucked off the bodies of Black people down through the ages.
France’s record is not blemish-free, no matter how many people want to delude themselves otherwise.
“France of all places…”
And what the hell is that supposed to mean? That the French are morally pure and not capable of mistreating and destroying black children from Africa. France has a long history of destroying the lives of black people.
It would behoove you to learn of that history, both past, and present.
When it comes to black women, and black children, and black families in Africa, anything goes in the eyes of non-black people.
Modern day slavery in France:
http://www.iabolish.org/slavery_today/country_reports/fr.html
Other countries:
http://www.childexploitation.org/europe.html
“A 56 year old English man has been sentenced to five years in prison for making
sex trips to Africa to abuse young children.
The 56-year-old made “harrowing” films of the abuse, said Judge Roger Chapple,
at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court…Kilpatrick, banned from Africa and other sex
tourism hotspots, is the first man to be jailed using laws to prosecute those who
abuse abroad.
Obviously the arrest of this despicable individual is a relief but the reality is that in
Africa alone there are millions of children being abused in this way whilst the
number of prosecutions is relatively small. In September this year, News 24.com
published a piece “Sex with kids a bargain in SA” where a Swiss lawyer was fined
R10,000 ($1,600) for having sex with a 16 or maybe 14 year old boy.
One of the most popular destinations for sex tourists is Gambia and last November,
a Norwegian man was tried in Oslo for sexually abusing a 12 year old Gambian
boy. In 2000 I was in Banjul for a 4 day conference attended by a number of Niger
Delta women’s groups. Each time we left the hotel we were all harassed by young
men which naturally irritated us all to the point that some of the women refused to
leave the hotel. However I wanted to know how the whole sex tourism thing worked
so I started a series of conversations with some of the young men working in the
“tourist shops”. I discovered that first the sex tourists were both men and women
but it was the men (mostly from Northern European countries such as Germany,
Sweden, Norway etc) who “went” for the young girls and boys. I was told that many
of the tourists came every year and stayed for up to 3 months living with a chosen
boy or girl. In some cases they would even take the child back to their home country.
They told me that everyone, the police, government officials, embassies all knew
what was happening but did nothing. One of the ways in which the Europeans took
the children back to their homes was by promising to give the children an education
and support his or her family back home. It was only when the child was in Germany
or Norway that they discovered they were in fact to be sexual slaves. One young
man told me he knew of someone who was kept prisoner for over a year in Germany
before he was able to escape and seek help and eventually he returned to Gambia.
It is not just African children:
“Each year, some 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide, according to the United
Nations. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe estimates that 200,000
individuals are trafficked annually from eastern Europe, a significant proportion being
children. Some become unpaid domestic servants, or work in sweatshops, but many more
boys, girls, teenagersare forced into prostitution and crime.
A Channel Four television documentary, Cutting Edge: The Child Sex Trade, screened
recently in Britain, showed how the authorities largely ignore the trafficking of children from
eastern Europe.”
http://www.prisonplanet.com/dyncorp_disgrace.html
The potential for child sex slavery can occur. The potential for abuse towards these children does exist, whether or not an organization is an “adoption group” or an “aid group”. The potential for abuse is high when you have children torn from their families just because they live in a poor country that does not have the many resources that countries like France have.
It is not always the best and humane interests for children that some of these aid/adoption organizations always have in mind.
Ann, according to one of your links:
,,Moreover, because many masters are originally from countries where slavery is more culturally accepted, they have imported the practice to France.///
I realize that sometimes adoption goes wrong,
and it’s complicated, more or less a paradox,
but I would venture to guess that the vast
majority of adoptions do not involve sex abuse or slavery.
kathy.
I agree. I read that as well. Yes, I am aware that wrongs occur on BOTH sides of the international adoption “fence”. But, two wrongs do not make a right, and this “adoption” organization did wrong in taking these children from their families and the only home they’ve every known.
It will takes weeks and months to reunite these little ones back to their families, and that is the fault of this so-called humanitarian organization.
The outright disrespect shown to these children’s families is what angered me.
Yes, sexual abuse of children in their countries certainly does exist. No doubt about it, and most adoptions do not lead to child sexual abuse, but, this taking children from their families without their mothers and fathers consent is no better than kidnapping.
Families that want children should obtain these children by legal means.
The same goes for these so-called adoption organizations that they should go about it the right way, and not be so greedy, cruel and callous in their disrespect for these children, their culture, and their families.
Word to these so-called “adoption” organizations:
Better to do an act right the first time, and not have to explain why you did it wrong in the first place.
Ann, I don’t think one wrong ever justifies
another.
I think this case is very sad, and
in fact, probably discredits the work of
all NGO’s,even though any group can call
themselves an NGO.
NGO’s to my knowledge are not adoption
organizations, however, I do agree with
you that there are plenty of adoption
agencies/organizations in need of reform.
And I think adoptive parents should be very
concerned with the ethics surrounding
adoption, and adoption reform.
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