Wubi News

Malian singer detained in Belgium in child custody row

2024-11-30 04:00:02

One of Africa's best known musicians - the Malian singer Rokia Traoré - has reportedly been imprisoned in Belgium as part of an ongoing child custody dispute.

The 50-year-old is being held after being extradited from Italy, over an outstanding two-year prison sentence, according to the AFP news agency.

The long-running saga dates back to 2020 when Traoré was initially detained in France on a Belgian arrest warrant after failing to heed a court order to hand over her daughter to the girl's Belgian father.

Months after she was conditionally released, Traoré flew out to Mali on a private flight, defying a ban from leaving France until her extradition to Belgium.