Bosnian Serb ex-general Tolimir in genocide trial

A Bosnian Serb former general, Zdravko Tolimir, has gone on trial in The Hague accused of genocide and other crimes committed during the Bosnian war.

A prosecutor at the UN war crimes tribunal said Mr Tolimir had "assisted, supervised and authorised" killings of Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims).

Genocide is among the charges he faces for his alleged role in the massacre of up to 8,000 men and boys at Srebrenica.

He was a top aide to commander Ratko Mladic, who is still on the run.

Mr Tolimir, 61, is the last suspect in custody to go on trial, because the court is scheduled to close its doors by 2013. He is also charged with crimes against humanity including persecution and deportation. He was arrested in May 2007.

Gen Mladic is also accused of genocide at Srebrenica in 1995.

He is thought to be hiding in Serbia, but Belgrade's failure to track him down and send him to The Hague remains an obstacle in the path of Serbia's bid to join the European Union, the BBC's Geraldine Coughlan reports.

One other top fugitive, the former Croatian Serb leader, Goran Hadzic, is also still at large.