Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, has been buried in Belgrade following his death in prison. Mladić, infamously known as the “Butcher of the Balkans,” was serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. He was convicted in 2017 by the International Criminal Tribunal. His journey, from communist origins to fervent Serbian nationalism, fueled the bloodshed during the Bosnian War. The circumstances surrounding his death and burial are likely to reignite sensitivities in the region. Mladić’s legacy remains deeply divisive, particularly for victims of the conflict he oversaw. His passing marks a somber chapter closing, but the wounds of the Balkan wars persist.