D'JAMENA, Chad, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Chad Sunday freed seven Europeans held for allegedly kidnapping children as French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived to investigate the arrests.
Sarkozy still planned to meet with Chadian President Idriss Deby to discuss the 10 remaining French, Spanish and Belgian nationals arrested last week for allegedly trying to fly 103 African children out of Chad to France, the BBC reported.
The four Spanish air hostesses and three French journalists freed Sunday are expected to return to Europe with Sarkozy later in the day, the BBC reported. Still in detention were a Belgian pilot, three members of the Spanish air crew and six officials from the French charity Zoe's Ark.
Chadian officials have disputed claims by Zoe's Ark the 103 children were orphans from war-ravaged Darfur in Sudan.
Earlier this year, Sarkozy negotiated with Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi for the successful release of six Bulgarian nurses who had been held in Libya.
