LILONGWE, (Reuters) – U.S. pop star Madonna will not  be allowed to adopt a second child from Malawi, a 4-year-old  girl named Mercy James, the African country’s High Court ruled  yesterday.

The ruling will please campaigners who say authorities have  given the singer special treatment. Malawi’s government, which  came under fire after Madonna adopted a 13-month-old Malawian  boy, had said on Thursday it would support a second adoption.

Court registrar Ken Manda told reporters Madonna’s bid to  adopt Mercy had been rejected because the star was not a  resident of Malawi.

An AIDS epidemic in the impoverished southern African  country has orphaned more than one million children. In her ruling, Judge Esimie Chombo warned against celebrity  adoptions, saying they could lead to child trafficking.

“Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an  adoption that might have grave consequences on the very children  that the law seeks to protect,” she said.

Madonna’s lawyer, Alan Chinula, said she would lodge an  appeal with the Supreme Court yesterday. Her London spokeswoman  was not immediately available for comment. Madonna has entertained millions around the world with sexy  high-energy performances and songs like “Material Girl” and  “Papa Don’t Preach”, and created controversies along the way.

In 1989, the video for “Like A Prayer”, with its links  between religion and eroticism, was condemned by the Vatican and  caused Pepsi-Cola to cancel a sponsorship deal with the star.

Madonna surprised fans in February by dedicating another of  her hits, “Like a Virgin”, to the pope at a concert in Rome.

Malawian rights groups, who accused the government of  skirting residency laws when Madonna adopted David Banda in  2006, also opposed the latest adoption attempt.