Mladic – command responsibility?

After 16 years on the run, he has finally been captured: former General Ratko Mladic. He is being held responsible for the biggest European massacre since World War II. Troops under the command of the Bosnian Serb general in July 1995 executed at least 7,800 Muslim men. 

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"All war criminals must face justice", said Serbian President Boris Tadic, when visibly relieved, he made the announcement that his secret service had arrested Ratko Mladic. The former general was one of the lead characters in one of the conflicts sparked by the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. Under the political leadership of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, general Mladic’s troops wreaked havoc in the predominantly Muslim state of Bosnia.

Vengeance
Mladic saw his ‘finest hour’ as army commander when he entered the Bosnian town of Srebrenica on 11 July 1995. Its population had sought refuge in the compound of the Dutch UN soldiers in neighbouring Potocari. In front of the cameras a satisfied Mladic walked the empty streets of the shelled-out town:

“Here we are, on July 11, 1995, in Serbian Srebrenica, just before a great Serb Holy day. We give this town to the Serb nation. Remembering the uprising against the Turks, the time has come to take revenge on the Muslims."

Negotiations under duress
The Dutch peacekeepers – who were outnumbered and had been refused UN or NATO air support – saw no option but to negotiate with Mladic about the surrender of the Dutch battalion and the evacuation of the thousands of refugees in their camp. The Dutch negotiator, battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Thom Karremans, said: 

“Mladic threatened to shell all the hostages he had captured, plus the battalion at the Potocari compound, plus all the refugees heading our way, with all means at his disposal; which were rather formidable.”

Thom Karremans was eventually persuaded that all refugees would be safely transferred to Bosnian territory. Mladic also sought to reassure the Muslims: “Everybody can stay, all civilians are safe”. Shortly afterward the men were separated from the women and the children and carried off on buses. In the next few days, at least 7,800 men were killed by Mladic’ men.

Charges
That same month, Ratko Mladic is indicted for genocide by the Yugoslavia Tribunal in The Hague. Tribunal spokesperson made the announcement on 25 July 1995:

“Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic have been indicted for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of the Geneva Conventions.”
   
However, Mladic managed to evade all attempts to capture him. He had relatively little to fear as long as Slobodan Milosevic was president, but when Milosevic was arrested and carted off to the Yugoslavia Tribunal, Mladic went into hiding. And remained in hiding for 16 years, until 26 May 2011. 

Expectations are that Ratko Mladic – just like his kindred spirits Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic before him– will be put on a plane to the Netherlands soon, to finally answer for his crimes to the Yugoslavia Tribunal in The Hague. 

(gsh)