Michael Desaedeleer, who holds citizenship in both US and Belgium, has been arrested by the Spanish authorities for allegedly doing business in ‘blood diamonds’ from Sierra Leone during the civil war that raged in that country in the decade of the 1990s. The Spanish police were implementing a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by Belgian authorities.

The accusations aainst Desaedeleer first appeared in a document submitted to the UN Security Council in 200 by a team of experts. It was said that he not only helped in trading of diamonds in international markets, but also forced locals to work in mines that he operated. At that time, Desaedeleer had denied the allegations, saying that his business was based on legitimate contracts.

The campaign for Desaedeleer’s arrest has been spearheaded by NGOs who have tried to document the manner in which ‘blood diamonds’ were used to finance the local war. This is the first important arrest after nearly a decade of campaigning.

Hailing the arrest, Alain Werner, director of Civitas Maxima, an NGO involved in the investigation and documentation of the trade in diamonds during the Civil War period, says that the case will be a landmark and help raise awareness of the problem.