THIRTY-ODD AFRICANS who have been housed at the Barbados Defence Force's (BDF) military base at Paragon, Christ Church, for the past week were granted conditional freedom yesterday, as they strolled out with broad smiles. The visitors from Ghana and Nigeria who were left stranded after a Ghana Airways charter flight did not return to take them back last February 15, will be allowed to leave the military base between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.

The latest development followed a request to the Government by the People's Empowerment Party (PEP) and the Barbados' chapter of the Global African Congress (GAC) to grant the Africans temporary release.

In a letter to Prime Minister David Thompson last Thursday, PEP's president David Comissiong wrote: "The PEP would like our guests to be permitted to return to their temporary Barbadian homes while they await a flight to Ghana, but your Minister of Immigration has made it clear that your Government is not prepared to allow this to happen."

It added: "We are therefore now requesting that you at least allow these West African residents of Paragon to be permitted to leave the base during the day and to return by a stipulated hour at night."

The temporary release of the Africans will continue until a flight is found to take them home.

Report to BDF

Additionally, all of them, including those now being housed by Barbadian families, were asked to report to the immigration for resettlement at Paragon.

Minister of State (Immigration) Senator Maxine McClean has confirmed that arrangements were now in place to allow the Africans to leave the army compound daily for the eight-hour period.

McClean said permission would be granted during which time the Government would try to get a flight to take the Africans home.

"I have given instructions to immigration until we can get a flight," she told the SUNDAY SUN yesterday evening.

It was close to midday that a bus load of the West Africans were reunited with some of their friends who were living with Barbadian families. There were visible signs of emotion as they hugged each other and relived the ordeal of being stranded in Barbados for the past two months.

"We don't want to be pitied. All we just want is to get back home and re-start our lives," spokesman Caesar Ikeme said.

He said when the truth of their misfortune was told, those in authority would regret the action taken against them.

"We have done nothing wrong. We have not committed a crime. It is just the misinformed minority, because when they come to know the truth, they would know we should not be treated as such," he added.

Ikeme also said there was nothing sinister about their visit to the Caribbean. He said most of them were only interested in setting up trade ties, or familiarising themselves with their "brothers and sisters in Barbados".

Former Government minister and president of the Israel Lovell Foundation, Trevor Prescod, has urged Government to immediately begin the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Africans' plight.

"The Prime Minister indicated he would make a call for an investigation, as soon as all of these brothers and sisters depart for Africa.

"I, as well as members of the GAC, are fully supportive of the investigation, but what we are asking is to start the investgation now with the brothers and sisters [Africans] so they can tell their story," he said.

Prescod also appealed to the remaining Africans who had not turned themselves into immigration authorities to do so immediately and avoid the likelihood of deportation.

The Immigration Department has also issued a call for them to get in touch with their offices no later than tomorrow.

The group of Africans arrived in Barbados on February 1 for a two-week holiday.