Former Serbian General Ratko Mladic was arrested in a small village outside Belgrade on Thursday, after more than 15 years on the run.
Mladic was indicted for genocide in 1995 by the International Criminal War Tribunal at the Hague for his role in the slaughter of thousands of Bosnian Muslims during the country’s civil war.
Elements within the Serbian military and government have in the past of been accused of hiding Mladic and turning a blind eye to his whereabouts. Serbian President Boris Tadic said the arrest marked an important step in his country’s future.
“This removes a heavy burden from Serbia and closes a page of our unfortunate history,” he told reporters at a press conference announcing Mladic’s arrest.
Serbia is currently seeking a bid for European Union membership.
US Ambassador Susan Rice welcomed the arrest in a statement earlier today, and said she hoped the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia’s other indictee, politician Goran Hadzic, would also be arrested soon.
“We commend the Government of Serbia for its action today, and we hope that this arrest can support reconciliation efforts all across the region.” said Rice. “We look forward to the day when Goran Hadzic joins Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic in The Hague”
Hadzic is charged with Crimes Against Humanity and Violation of Laws or Customs of War for his role in promoting ethnic violence as leader of Serbian Nationalists in Croatia between 1991-1995.