Prosecutor Alan Tieger referred to Karadzic as the "supreme commander" of ethnic Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He was "a man who harnessed the forces of nationalism, hatred and fear to implement his vision of an ethnically separated Bosnia," Tieger said on the second day of his war crimes trial in The Hague.

The UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has charged Karadzic with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia.

The conflict killed 100,000 people and displaced 2.2 million others.

Responsible for Srebrenica massacre

Tieger said that Karadzic was both the architect of policies of ethnic cleansing and the head of the soldiers who carried them out.

"He was a hands-on leader who had direct contact with leaders in the field," Tieger said.

Tieger specifically blamed Karadzic for overseeing the three-year siege of Sarajevo and for the killing of around 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995 in the town of Srebrenica.

Karadzic, 64, was arrested last year after 11 years on the run.

Karadzic has denied all charges. He did not attend the opening statement, following through on his threat to boycott the proceedings. Karadzic, who is representing himself, says he needs more time to prepare for the trial.

Judge O-Gon Kwon warned Karadzic that if he does not appear when the trail resumes on Monday, an extra hearing will be held on how to deal with his boycott. It's possible that a counsel will be assigned to him and he will be tried in absentia, the judge said.

Karadzic could face life in prison if convicted.

th/Reuters/dpa/AFP
Editor: Chuck Penfold