ROME – Acclaimed Malian singer and UN Ambassador for Refugees, Rokia Traoré, is set to be extradited to Belgium within the next ten days following her arrest in Italy earlier this year.
Traoré was detained in June 2024 at Fiumicino Airport in Rome as she arrived for a scheduled concert, having been convicted in absentia of child abduction by a Belgian court.
Her Italian lawyer, Maddalena Claudia Del Re, confirmed that the singer would soon be transferred to Belgium to serve a two-year prison sentence.
The legal battle surrounding Traoré dates back to 2020 when she was first arrested in Paris under a European arrest warrant issued by Belgian authorities.
The warrant followed a court order demanding she return her daughter to the child’s father, Belgian national Jan Goossens. Despite the order and a subsequent travel ban, Traoré flew to Mali with her daughter, then just four years old, in open defiance of the court’s ruling.
Traoré’s daughter, now nine years old, has been living in Mali for the past five years, with no contact with her Belgian father during that period.
The situation has been a source of legal contention between the singer and Goossens, with attempts at reconciliation repeatedly failing. Lawyer Sven Mary, representing Goossens, expressed the father’s frustration and ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute amicably.
“Over the past years, Jan Goossens has regularly proposed a new family agreement to Rokia Traoré, approved by both Malian and Belgian courts, to end this nightmare and secure their daughter’s future with both parents,” Mary said.
He further noted that despite these efforts, Traoré has consistently refused any attempt at resolution, exacerbating the already strained situation.
Traoré, known for her vibrant musical career and activism, has seen her public image complicated by the ongoing legal issues. In addition to her work as a musician, Traoré has gained recognition as a passionate advocate for refugee rights.
In 2015, she was appointed a UN Ambassador for Refugees, a role that positioned her as a prominent figure in global humanitarian efforts. Her work as an activist has been widely praised, though the personal legal battles have cast a shadow over her public life.
The impending extradition raises questions about the future of the singer’s career and her activism.
Her legal team, led by Del Re, has not disclosed whether they will pursue further legal measures in Belgium once Traoré is transferred to serve her sentence. Meanwhile, Goossens remains hopeful that the extradition will pave the way for renewed negotiations regarding his daughter’s custody and future.
As the international spotlight once again falls on Traoré, the case underscores the challenges of international custody disputes and the complexities that arise when personal and legal matters intersect with public life. For now, both the legal proceedings in Belgium and the fate of Traoré’s relationship with her daughter remain uncertain.
Traoré’s supporters, particularly in Mali, have rallied behind her, expressing dismay at the Belgian conviction and calling for a diplomatic resolution to the case. However, with the extradition process in motion, the singer’s next steps will likely play out in a Belgian court.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
