Mladic handover 'by end of April'

Gen Mladic: Charged with genocide and crimes against humanity

Serbia has pledged to hand over war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic to the tribunal in The Hague this month, the chief prosecutor's office says.

Four relatives of the former Bosnian Serb army leader have been arrested, his wife told a Serbian newspaper.

The BBC's Matt Prodger in Belgrade says the Serbian authorities' pledge is the strongest commitment they have given so far to international prosecutors.

Ratko Mladic is wanted on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

A spokesman for the UN chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte said she was given that assurance last week by the Serbian Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica.

"We received clear assurances from Kostunica for the delivery of Ratko Mladic by the end of April," Anton Nikiforov said on Thursday.

The Serbian government has admitted that Mr Mladic was sheltered by the military until 2002, and that his family were drawing a pension on his behalf until December last year.

Along with his civilian counterpart, Radovan Karadzic, he is the most wanted war crimes suspect in Europe.