Ratko Mladić, convicted of genocide, dies at 84

<p>Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb general who oversaw wartime atrocities during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, has died at the age of 84. U.N. court officials reported that he passed away in a hospital in The Hague, Netherlands.</p><p>Mladić had been in custody since 2011 after evading capture for years due to war crimes committed during the 1990s. In 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the conflict.</p><p>He was a prominent figure in the war that resulted in over 100,000 deaths and the displacement of more than a million people. Under his command, Bosnian Serb forces took control of significant areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, besieging cities such as Sarajevo. His troops detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers in concentration camps and were charged with systematic killings.</p><p>One of the most notable incidents associated with Mladić was the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, where up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed, despite the area being designated as a safe zone protected by Dutch peacekeepers.</p><p>Following his sentencing, Mladić expressed no remorse and was reported to have shouted at judges in court. Janko Seslija, a former Bosnian Serb soldier, stated, "He was murdered there, in those dungeons. I feel sorry for Gen. Mladić. He was an honorable man, honorable soldier and commander." </p><p>Mladić, who began his military career during the Communist era, aligned with the Serbs as Yugoslavia disintegrated into conflict, leading a Serb insurgency in Croatia before commanding the Bosnian Serb army.</p><p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></p>