Allan Little: I met dangerously fanatical Mladić early in Bosnian war
BBC correspondent Allan Little reflects on his early encounters with Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladić during the 1990s Balkan wars. The piece serves as a retrospective on the human cost of ethnic conflict following Mladić's death in prison.
Why it matters
It provides historical context and a humanistic perspective on one of the most significant war crimes trials and conflicts of the late 20th century.
Image source, Reuters Published 27 August 2026, 19:08 BST Updated 18 minutes ago Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladić, dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia" for his actions during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, has died in prison.
BBC special correspondent Allan Little was there throughout the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, and met Mladić in the early months of the Bosnian war.
At night, you could watch the fires of ethnic cleansing across the landscape. The flames provided the only light under the night sky and the black valley would glimmer with flecks of orange.
You could watch the men of our village move about silently in the shadows of their homes, each armed with some ancient weapon salvaged from wars long ago and, like the fears and the suspicions and the distrusts, handed down through the generations.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in