politics
Ratko Mladić: BBC correspondent on meeting dangerous fanatic early in Bosnian war
Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladić, dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia" for his actions during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, has died in prison.
TL;DR
- The author witnessed ethnic cleansing, with fires visible at night and villagers armed with old weapons.
- A procession of 40,000 refugees, driven from their homes, was observed.
- An elderly man, fleeing his home, identified himself as a musician, not by his ethnicity, prompting reflection on dehumanizing labels.
- The author met Ratko Mladić, who appeared fanatical and spoke of peace while his forces were engaged in combat.
- Mladić's forces committed war crimes, including ethnic cleansing, mass murder, rape, and expulsion, in an effort to create an ethnically pure Serbian territory.
- The author's cameraman, Tihomir Tunukovic, was killed by a Serb gunner.
- General Mladić's command created an atmosphere that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.