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Rokia Traoré has been detained since yesterday at Fleury Mérogis prison in France. A litigation opposes him with his ex-companion on the custody of their 4 year old daughter. The Belgian courts, seized by her ex-partner, condemned her for kidnapping, forcible confinement and hostage taking and had issued an international arrest warrant against her. Decision which she had appealed, and it was while going to the appeal hearing in Belgium that she was arrested at the Paris stopover and imprisoned at Fleury Mérogis. His lawyers are responsible for verifying whether this procedure was legal, whether the Belgian courts were competent to deal with this case, whether their rights have been respected, whether the classification of the facts is adequate.
Factually, the girl in question has lived in Mali with her mother since she was 4 months old, where she is attending school. The reasons why Rokia refused to present their daughter are mentioned in the RFI press release. Knowing Rokia and his ex-companion, I will not mention them here. To the justice, the true one, to decide. Especially since this case is the subject of proceedings in Mali, France and Belgium. This affair although private and which should remain it, became political and it is for this reason that I express myself. It reflects the state of political, legal and symbolic relations between Africa and the rest of the world.
If the words always have a meaning, the little girl in question was never kidnapped and kidnapped by her mother who looked after her, when everything was fine and who lived with her on the soil of Mali. As far as I know, Rokia Traoré is not a criminal for an international arrest warrant to be issued against her and for her to be arrested and thrown in jail like a common thug, because she refused to present his daughter when Belgian justice asked him to. The physical and especially symbolic violence exerted by the Belgian justice against Rokia Traoré says this: You may be called Rokia Traoré, be an artist of exceptional quality, recognized worldwide, if a dispute opposes you with one of our nationals, we have the means, in defiance of your dignity, to throw you in prison and to treat like the last of the criminals, by setting in motion our legal-repressive apparatus and by putting you in your place. Because we say good, after all, you’re just an African. Coming from a region of the world which has weak economic, political and therefore symbolic power. In this case, a court decision had been taken in Mali which entrusted custody of the child to Rokia Traoré and granted the father access rights, to be defined. This decision apparently does not weigh in the international chessboard. Moreover, for most mixed couples, women when they are African often lose their post-union litigation, their parental rights. This is statistical and structural data. Men too, when they are African.
Rokia Traoré is here at the intersection of several vulnerabilities, that of being a woman, more African, who claims to be free, strong and independent. She has nothing to do in prison and a mobilization is needed to defend her rights and her dignity as a woman, a human and an African. This case concerns us in that it recalls our uncertain and vulnerable condition that we are facing the justice of the countries of the North. Imagine the opposite situation, a big Belgian star having a post-union dispute with a Malian and who finds himself imprisoned in Mali, it is just unthinkable. His embassy is said to have mobilized, defended him and, whatever Malian law, has left him out of business. Therein lies the problem !!!
We come from countries which are incapable of defending the physical and moral integrity of their nationals when it is flouted in other latitudes. Countries whose judicial decisions do not weigh and especially which in the economy of the litigation, see the rights of their nationals often ignored, even flouted.
It happens that our diplomats, despite their immunity, are mistreated in foreign countries, migrants to be turned back are taped like vulgar packages in total silence. All kinds of indignities are inflicted on our nationals around the world, in defiance of their rights and dignity.
Rokia Traoré, more than an artist is a figure of strength, courage and dignity for millions of young African women. A career and a voice like her, she built it with the abnegation of skill and hard work. Everyone who knows her knows her exceptional moral qualities. Let them not detract from this symbol. At the time of writing, Rokia Traoré has just started a hunger strike to protest the decision and defend his rights. She stands. Let us stand with it. Let’s sign the petitions that are circulating and take all necessary actions to ensure that it is released as soon as possible.
Felwine Sarr
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