The former ambassador of Guinea, a country in West Africa, was arrested in Brussels last month, the Belgian foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday. A family dispute is said to have triggered the arrest. The arrest has caused consternation in Guinea, which is seeking an explanation from Belgium.
Aissatou Doukoure was arrested in Brussels on 16 June.
According to Guinean media, the case revolves around the mistreatment and possible detention of a teenage girl belonging to her family, who allegedly reported the incident to the police. The Brussels public prosecutor's office and Belgian foreign ministry are not commenting on the matter for now.
The incident has caused quite a stir in Guinea. The Guinean foreign ministry has reportedly expressed concern in a letter to the Belgian authorities dated 25 June. Guinea is unhappy it was not informed about Doukoure's arrest, pointing out that the former ambassador to Belgium enjoys diplomatic immunity.
No diplomatic immunity
Belgium though disputes this. The foreign ministry says a verbal note from the Guinean embassy informed it about the end of Doukoure's mandate as ambassador on 27 November 2024. Why Doukoure remained in Belgium thereafter is not clear.
"She is currently therefore no longer serving as an ambassador in our country. After a reasonable deadline to leave Belgium with her family, Ms Aissatou Doukoure's special residence permit and those of her family members were cancelled," foreign ministry spokesman Pierre Steverlynck says.
According to the foreign ministry, talks with the Guinean authorities regarding this matter are ongoing.