Sarkozy in Chad over kidnap row

Seven Europeans among 17 detained for over a week in an alleged attempt to kidnap 103 African children were released on Sunday and left the country with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

It was the second time since taking office in May that the French leader has intervened in a major international legal dispute. The Europeans — among them nine French citizens — were arrested on October 25 when a charity calling itself Zoe’s Ark was stopped from flying the children to Europe. The group said the children were from Sudan and that it intended to place them with host families.

Sarkozy met with Chad’s leader, Idriss Deby, trading back slaps and cheek kisses, before leaving Chad on his official jet with three French journalists and four flight attendants from Spain.