Alija Izetbegovic, who steered Bosnia through independence and the worst bloodshed in Europe after World War II, died today, aged 78.
The former Bosnian President died of complications that developed after he washospitalised for injuries sustained from a fall in his home, Dr IsmetGavrankapetanovic, the head of Sarajevo's Kosevo clinic, was quoted as saying bystate radio.
Izetbegovic's condition had become critical on Friday when doctors could notstop bleeding in his left lung, the hospital reported.
The former president and leader of Bosnia's Muslims had been admitted toSarajevo's main hospital several weeks ago after breaking four ribs and injuringhis shoulder during a fall at his home.
He had been fitted with a pacemaker lastyear and had suffered two heart attacks in the past.
Izetbegovicwas a father figure to many Muslims, particularly those in rural areas who votedoverwhelmingly for his Party of Democratic Action in the November 1990 electionsthat brought him to power.
Izetbegovic won a reputation as a moderate by steering multi ethnicBosnia-Herzegovina on a neutral course as the feud between Serbia and Croatiatore the Yugoslav federation apart in 1991.
But after the republics of Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia had declaredindependence from the federation, Izetbegovic finally supported the idea of anindependent Bosnia.
That infuriated Bosnia's Serbs, who made up one-third of the republic's peopleand wanted to remain within a Serb-dominated Yugoslavia.
After dominant Muslims and Croats voted for independence on February 29, 1992,Serbs began fighting for Bosnian territory.
The ensuing bloodshed engulfed Bosnia, resulting in an estimated 260,000people killed or missing and 2.5 million refugees, who fled their homes or wereevicted in ethnic purges.
Bosnian Serbs, deeply suspicious of Izetbegovic's religious background,accused him of trying to establish an Islamic republic in Europe.
Of the three leaders in charge as the Bosnian war broke out, Izetbegoviclasted the longest. Slobodan Milosevic was ousted as Yugoslav president in 2000and was later extradited to the UN war tribunal where he now stands trial foralleged war crimes in Bosnia and elsewhere, while Franjo Tudjman, Croatia'spresident, died in office in 1999.
After 10 years of leadership, Izetbegovic stepped down from the three-membercollective presidency in 2000.
Izetbegovic is survived by his wife, Halida, and three children.