N'DJAMENA, Chad – The Ethiopian Airlines flight banked over the River Chad as fishermen poled their dugouts against the current. The dusty capital, N'Djamena, sits on the edge of the river; Cameroon visible just across its sluggish expanse.

Fabien and I have traveled from Kenya to Chad to follow the journey of over a hundred children from Abeche, in Eastern Chad, to their homes in Adre, on the border of Sudan.

The children sparked worldwide debate and national protest when Zoe's Ark, a French charity, claimed they were refugees from Darfur. The charity tried to spirit them away to France. But members of Zoe's ArK were halted at the last minute by Chadian authorities and arrested.

Fighting stopped only a few weeks ago here in the capital. There are sprays of bullet holes in shops, broken glass in buildings, wooden paneling boarding up damaged entrances. And carpet sellers everywhere in the already bustling markets.The rebels came right up to the residence of President Idriss Deby. They call it the "White House."

There is a state of emergency here and all visitors must register with the police. Residents are under midnight curfew, and Somalia-style "technicals" - improvised armed vehicles - still patrol the streets. Occasional military planes of the European peacekeeping force fly overhead and the whirl of attack helicopters drown out other sounds.