by TIM SLINGER

THIRTY-FOUR AFRICANS held at the Barbados Defence Force's (BDF) military base at Paragon, Christ Church, have threatened to go on a hunger strike if they are not returned home by Sunday.

They are also demanding freedom of movement, charging that contrary to reports, they are being kept under lockdown at the base.

The latest development comes on the heels of the departure of Minister of Foreign Affairs Christopher Sinckler who left for Ghana yesterday to attend trade talks on the African continent and at the same time meet with government counterparts to discuss the plight of the Africans stranded here since February.

Sinckler said he knew nothing of the threatened hunger strike.

"No one expressed that to me and I was surprised to hear it on VOB (Voice of Barbados).

"The conditions at Paragon are just short of what you would find in a hotel," he added, noting that the Africans, in addition to watching cable television, would soon be accommodated with Internet providers.

Sinckler also disclosed that the bill to charter a return flight for the Africans could be in the vicinity of about $2 million.

Sources close to the activities at Paragon told the WEEKEND NATION the Africans who have been stranded in Barbados since mid-February, had begun to feel frustrated and had planned to begin their hunger strike today.

However, they agreed to postpone the action until Sunday, hoping that a flight for their return home would be put in place before then.

"We are under lockdown," one of the Africans said yesterday. "We have done nothing wrong. We came here as good citizens and now
we are being treated as we committed a crime," said another.

The 34 being held were part of a contingent of 96 Ghanaians and Nigerians who arrived in Barbados on an inaugural Ghanaian Airlines flight from West Africa.

Earlier this week, the Global Afrikan Congress of the North American region based in Canada wrote a letter to Prime Minister David Thompson expressing concern about the handling of the Africans by immigration authorities, after they had been urged to report for an immigrant
status update.

"Your Government's action of military confinement of the group not only runs counter to the natural instincts of Barbadians, but also tarnishes Barbados' reputation," the letter added.

Meanwhile, reports out of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday indicated that authorities in the twin-island republic had placed ten Ghanaians in maximum security prison cells pending deportation for infringing immigration laws.

They are believed to be part of the African contingent which arrived in Barbados in February.