Renowned Malian singer Rokia Traoré has been detained at Rome’s Fiumicino airport for a past conviction in Belgium related to a child custody dispute. The arrest occurred as she arrived for a performance, with Italian media confirming the news.
In 2020, Traoré was initially apprehended in France on a Belgian warrant for disobeying a court order regarding her child’s custody. Despite her conditional release, she later flew to Mali against French travel restrictions, earning a two-year prison sentence in absentia from Belgian authorities.
Her daughter, residing in Mali since the age of four, remains at the center of the legal battle. Traoré’s past attempts to contest the custody ruling in Belgium were hindered, with Mali’s government asserting her diplomatic status.
Aside from her musical prowess, Traoré is lauded for her humanitarian efforts, notably as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador in West and Central Africa. With an illustrious career, including prestigious music awards, Traoré’s legal woes have cast a shadow on her artistic legacy.