Ratko Mladić

Ratko Mladic, a name synonymous with brutality and ethnic cleansing, was a Bosnian Serb military leader who played a central role in the Bosnian War (1992-1995). He commanded the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) and was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). This article explores Mladic’s life, his actions during the Bosnian War, his trial, and the lasting impact of his crimes.

Historical Context of the Bosnian War

The Bosnian War was a complex conflict rooted in the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the rise of ethnic nationalism1. Following the secession of Slovenia and Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a multi-ethnic republic with a mix of Muslim Bosniaks (44%), Orthodox Serbs (32.5%), and Catholic Croats (17%), passed a referendum for independence in 19921. This referendum was boycotted by Bosnian Serbs, who largely wished to remain within a Serb-dominated Yugoslavia1.

A crisis emerged in Yugoslavia as a result of the weakening of the confederation system at the end of the Cold War1. The national communist party, the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, was losing its ideological potency, while ethnic nationalism experienced a resurgence in the 1980s, particularly after violence erupted in Kosovo1. These factors, coupled with an authoritarian government and economic crisis, contributed to rising nationalistic and ethnic tensions that ultimately led to the outbreak of war2. The Bosnian Serbs, with the support of the Yugoslav army, launched a military campaign to seize territory and create a separate Serb entity1. This campaign was marked by widespread violence, ethnic cleansing, and human rights abuses3. During the war, an estimated 100,000 people were killed4.

Early Life and Military Career

Ratko Mladic was born in 1942 in the isolated village of Božinovići, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina), during World War II5. His father, a Partisan leader, was killed fighting against the Ustaša, the Croatian fascist movement5. This early exposure to violence and loss may have influenced his later actions. Mladic embarked on a military career, graduating from the Yugoslav Military Academy in 19655. He steadily rose through the ranks of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), holding various command positions5. In 1992, as Yugoslavia disintegrated and Bosnia declared independence, Mladic was appointed commander of the VRS, the Bosnian Serb army5.

Role in the Bosnian War

The Bosnian War erupted after Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) and Croats voted for independence, a move boycotted by Bosnian Serbs6. Mladic, alongside Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic, spearheaded a campaign of ethnic cleansing aimed at creating an ethnically pure Serb state6. Under Mladic’s command, the VRS besieged Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for three and a half years5. The siege, which lasted from 1992 to 1995, involved relentless shelling and sniping of civilian areas, resulting in the deaths of over 10,000 civilians, including 1,600 children6. The ICTY indictment specifically charged Mladic with the murder, terror, and unlawful attacks on civilians in Sarajevo8. From May 1992, Bosnian Serb Forces under Mladic’s command and control used shelling and sniping to target civilian areas of the city, killing and wounding civilians, and inflicting terror upon the civilian population9.

Mladic’s forces were also responsible for the persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, and forcible transfer of non-Serb populations in municipalities throughout Bosnia8. From May 1992, Bosnian Serb Forces under Mladic’s command took control of municipalities in the Serbian Republic of BiH, primarily in the northwestern region of BiH known as the Bosnian Krajina and in eastern Bosnia9. In these municipalities, the Bosnian Serb Forces participated in a campaign of persecutions to drive the non-Serb populations from these territories9. Thousands of non-Serbs were deported or forcibly transferred from these municipalities9. He oversaw the establishment of detention camps where Bosnian Muslims and Croats were subjected to inhumane conditions, torture, and killings10.

Furthermore, Mladic was charged with taking UN personnel hostage8. He was also accused of crimes relating to the alleged sniping campaign against civilians in Sarajevo and the attack on the UN-declared safe area of Srebrenica in July 199511.

Mladic’s crimes extended beyond Bosnia. As Major General, he assisted ICTY-convicted war criminal Milan Martic, President of the Krajina, to establish an independent Serbian state within Croatia12. Mladic led the siege of the Croatian village of Kijevo, resulting in the town being completely looted and burned12. As commander of the Knin Corps in Croatia, Mladic’s forces attacked Kijevo, Sibenik, Zadar, Vrlajk, and Skrabanj, resulting in the death of 43 civilians and 15 Croatian soldiers12.

The indictment against Mladic also included sex crimes committed under his command13. Although rape was not explicitly indicted, “rape and other acts of sexual violence” were included in the genocide charges, as well as the “persecution” and “inhumane acts” charges as crimes against humanity13.

The Srebrenica Massacre

The darkest chapter in Mladic’s military career, and arguably the most horrific event of the Bosnian War, was the Srebrenica massacre in July 199514. Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia, had been declared a UN „safe area“ under the protection of UNPROFOR, a task force made up of 370 lightly-armed Dutch soldiers15. However, it was overrun by Mladic’s forces in an operation codenamed Operation Krivaja ’9516. The subsequent massacre led to the deaths of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys16. The massacre was the first legally recognized genocide in Europe since the end of World War II15.

Mladic’s role in the Srebrenica massacre was undeniable. He was present in Srebrenica during the massacre, personally overseeing the separation of men and boys from women and children14. He assured the terrified civilians that they would not be harmed, a chilling deception that preceded the mass executions14. The killings were systematic and brutal, with victims being executed in groups and buried in mass graves14. Some Serbs claimed the massacre was in retaliation for civilian casualties inflicted on Bosnian Serbs by Bosniak soldiers from Srebrenica, led by Naser Orić15.

The women, children, and elderly were forcibly transferred to Bosniak-held territory17. The men and boys were taken to various holding sites and summarily executed9. There were also reports of rape and sexual violence against women and girls14. To conceal the killings, VRS units under Mladic’s command participated in an organized effort to rebury bodies exhumed from mass graves in isolated locations9.

As of July 2012, 6,838 genocide victims had been identified through DNA analysis of body parts recovered from mass graves15. As of July 2021, 6,671 bodies had been interred at the Memorial Centre of Potočari, with another 236 buried elsewhere15. The remains of about 1,000 people are still missing18. Nearly 50 Bosnian Serbs were convicted for their roles in the massacre18.

The Mothers of Srebrenica, a group of women who lost their husbands, sons, and fathers in the massacre, have been instrumental in seeking justice and accountability for the crimes committed in Srebrenica19. They have tirelessly campaigned for the truth to be recognized and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, there have been attempts to deny the Srebrenica massacre and its scale20. Some argue that the actual number of dead is exaggerated or that most of those killed were casualties of war20. These denial efforts seek to minimize the severity of the crime and undermine the international community’s recognition of the massacre as genocide.

In May 2024, the UN declared July 11 the annual International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica15. This day serves as a reminder of the horrific events that took place and honors the victims of the massacre.

Trial and Verdict

Following the Bosnian War, Mladic became a fugitive from justice11. He evaded capture for 16 years, aided by Serbian and Bosnian Serb security forces and family members11. He was suspected to be hiding either in Serbia, Republika Srpska, near Sarajevo, or in Montenegro5. In 2010, his family even tried to have him declared legally dead5. During this time, he continued to collect a Yugoslav army pension12.

On May 26, 2011, Mladic was finally apprehended in Lazarevo, Serbia21. The arrest was carried out by two dozen Serbian special police officers21. Upon surrendering two pistols he was carrying, Mladic was taken to Belgrade as part of the extradition process21. He was extradited to The Hague to face trial at the ICTY21.

Mladic’s trial began in 2012 and lasted 197 days21. The prosecution presented evidence from over 400 witnesses, detailing the atrocities committed under his command21. The trial was prolonged due to concerns about Mladic’s health, which meant that hearings were shorter than usual22.

In 2017, Mladic was found guilty of 10 out of 11 charges, including genocide in Srebrenica, crimes against humanity, and war crimes21. The specific charges included persecution, extermination, murder, and the inhumane act of forcible transfer in the area of Srebrenica in 1995; persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, and inhumane act of forcible transfer in municipalities throughout BiH; murder, terror, and unlawful attacks on civilians in Sarajevo; and hostage-taking of UN personnel8. He was acquitted of one count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war23. He was sentenced to life imprisonment21.

Following his conviction, Mladic filed an appeal24. Both parties filed their respective notices of appeal, appellant’s briefs, respondent’s briefs, and reply briefs24. The Appeals Chamber ultimately confirmed the original verdict, rejecting the appeals filed by both Mladic and the Prosecution25. This final appeal was rejected in June 2021, ensuring that Mladic would spend the rest of his life in prison21.

Impact of Mladic’s Crimes

The impact of Mladic’s crimes on the victims and their families is immeasurable. The Srebrenica massacre, in particular, left deep scars on the Bosniak community5. Thousands of families were torn apart, and the psychological trauma continues to affect survivors9. Sabrija Hajdarevic, for example, lost her husband and father in the massacre and continues to make an annual trip to Srebrenica to visit their graves18. The ongoing search for missing remains and the struggle to identify and bury loved ones adds to the pain and suffering of the victims’ families14.

Beyond the immediate victims, Mladic’s actions contributed to the destabilization of the entire region12. The ethnic cleansing campaigns and the siege of Sarajevo created a climate of fear and mistrust that persists to this day9. The war left lasting divisions within Bosnian society, hindering reconciliation and reconstruction efforts.

International Efforts to Bring Mladic to Justice

The international community played a significant role in bringing Mladic to justice. The ICTY, established by the UN Security Council in 1993, was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia26. The ICTY issued an arrest warrant for Mladic in 1995, and various countries, including Serbia and the United States, offered rewards for information leading to his capture11.

Serbia’s failure to arrest Mladic and bring him to justice sooner seriously harmed its relationship with the European Union12. This highlights the importance of cooperation between states in upholding international law and pursuing accountability for war crimes.

The arrest and trial of Mladic demonstrated the international community’s commitment to holding perpetrators of war crimes accountable27. However, the fact that he remained at large for 16 years highlights the challenges in apprehending and prosecuting individuals responsible for such atrocities27.

Summary

Ratko Mladic was a Bosnian Serb military leader who played a central role in the Bosnian War. He commanded the VRS and was responsible for numerous atrocities, including the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre. Mladic evaded capture for 16 years before being apprehended and extradited to The Hague to face trial at the ICTY. He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment. His crimes had a devastating impact on the victims, their families, and the region as a whole. The international community played a crucial role in bringing Mladic to justice, but his case also highlights the challenges in preventing and responding to mass atrocities.

Conclusion

Ratko Mladic’s name will forever be associated with the horrors of the Bosnian War. His actions as commander of the VRS, particularly his role in the Srebrenica massacre, left an indelible mark on history. His conviction by the ICTY served as a powerful symbol of international justice and a reminder that those who commit such crimes will be held accountable. However, the legacy of his actions continues to cast a long shadow over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The wounds of the war remain open, and the international community must continue to support efforts to promote reconciliation and ensure that such atrocities never happen again.

(Potential caption for visual enhancement: A photograph of Ratko Mladic in military uniform, taken during the Bosnian War.)

Works cited

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