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Mladic aide to be sent to Hague Mladic aide to be sent to Hague
(about 1 hour later)
A former Bosnian Serb general and close aide to top war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic is set to be transferred to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. A former Bosnian Serb general and close aide to key war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic is set to be transferred to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Zdravko Tolimir, 58, wanted by the UN tribunal over the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in 1995, was arrested in eastern Bosnia on Thursday.Zdravko Tolimir, 58, wanted by the UN tribunal over the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in 1995, was arrested in eastern Bosnia on Thursday.
Gen Mladic has evaded arrest for years. He is wanted for war crimes against Muslim civilians in the 1990s. Gen Mladic, the Bosnian Serbs' former military commander, is also wanted for the massacre and for other war crimes.
The other key figure still at large is ex-Bosnian Serb head Radovan Karadzic.The other key figure still at large is ex-Bosnian Serb head Radovan Karadzic.
Mr Tolimir was detained in eastern Bosnia close to the Serbian border by police from Serbia and the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska. Gen Tolimir was held near the Serbian border by police from Serbia and the Bosnian Serb republic.
This is the first time that not a single fugitive from the ICTY can sleep peacefully Rasim LjajicSerbian minister Support network
The EU has linked the arrest of war crimes suspects to the resumption of talks on closer ties with Serbia. He was the third most wanted suspect by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), after Gen Mladic and Mr Karadzic.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn - who is integral to Serbia's potential EU membership - welcomed Mr Tolimir's arrest. TRIBUNAL MOST WANTED Ratko Mladic, 64, former Bosnian Serb generalRadovan Karadzic, 61, ex-Bosnian Serb leaderStojan Zupljanin, 55, ex-Bosnian Serb police chiefGoran Hadzic, 48, former Croatian Serb officialVlastimir Djordjevic, 58, ex-Serb police chief in Kosovo
He described it as "an important step towards bringing to justice all remaining fugitives" and said full co-operation with the UN tribunal was "a key step to achieve lasting reconciliation in the Western Balkans region". The BBC's Nick Hawton in Sarajevo says there will be renewed hope that the net around the two men still at large is now finally tightening. Gen Tolimir was extremely close to Gen Mladic and may have been the chief co-ordinator of his support network, helping him to evade capture, our correspondent says.
Mr Rehn is holding talks later on Friday with Serbia President Boris Tadic, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country currently holds the EU presidency. In Serbia, the newly-formed pro-democratic government has set up a special national security council, whose main aim is to apprehend the remaining war crimes suspects.
The head of Serbia's office for co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said the arrest showed a new determination from Belgrade. It is chaired by Serbian President Boris Tadic, who has put a high priority on completing co-operation with the UN tribunal, so Serbia can restart talks on eventual EU membership.
"This is the first time that not a single fugitive from the ICTY can sleep peacefully, because our civilian and military intelligence will work simultaneously on locating them," Rasim Ljajic said. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn described the arrest of Gen Tolimir as "an important step towards bringing to justice all remaining fugitives".
Mr Rehn is holding talks later on Friday with Mr Tadic and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.
Still at largeStill at large
Gen Tolimir was considered the third most important person on the list of those indicted for war crimes by the ICTY, after Gen Mladic and his wartime political leader, Radovan Karadzic. Gen Tolimir was an intelligence officer and senior aide to Gen Mladic at the time of the Srebrenica massacre, which was carried out by Bosnian Serbs under Gen Mladic's command.
ICTY MOST WANTED Ratko Mladic, 64, former Bosnian Serb generalRadovan Karadzic, 61, ex-Bosnian Serb leaderStojan Zupljanin, 55, ex-Bosnian Serb police chiefGoran Hadzic, 48, former Croatian Serb officialVlastimir Djordjevic, 58, ex-Serb police chief in Kosovo
Gen Tolimir was an intelligence officer and senior aide to Gen Mladic at the time of the massacre at Srebrenica, which was carried out by Bosnian Serb soldiers under Gen Mladic's command.
Gen Tolimir is accused of helping to plan and carry out the murders, which have since been internationally recognised as genocide.Gen Tolimir is accused of helping to plan and carry out the murders, which have since been internationally recognised as genocide.
Both Gen Mladic and Mr Karadzic have been indicted for genocide over the killings in Srebrenica and the 43-month siege of Sarajevo, which claimed more than 10,000 lives.Both Gen Mladic and Mr Karadzic have been indicted for genocide over the killings in Srebrenica and the 43-month siege of Sarajevo, which claimed more than 10,000 lives.
Gen Tolimir is thought to have been one of the key figures helping Gen Mladic to evade capture.
The BBC's Nick Walton in Sarajevo says that if this is the case, Gen Tolimir may provide important information about where the most wanted war crimes suspect is now hiding.
With Gen Tolimir's arrest, only five of the 161 people indicted by the UN tribunal remain at large.With Gen Tolimir's arrest, only five of the 161 people indicted by the UN tribunal remain at large.
In addition to Gen Mladic and Mr Karadzic, the other fugitive war crimes suspects are former Bosnian Serb police chief Stojan Zupljanin, 55; former Croatian Serb official Goran Hadzic, 48; and a former Serb police commander in Kosovo, Vlastimir Djordjevic, 58.In addition to Gen Mladic and Mr Karadzic, the other fugitive war crimes suspects are former Bosnian Serb police chief Stojan Zupljanin, 55; former Croatian Serb official Goran Hadzic, 48; and a former Serb police commander in Kosovo, Vlastimir Djordjevic, 58.