Murder of Goran Zugic, Security Advisor of Montenegrin President

Foreboding of a Hot Summer

If the murder of one of the heads of Montenegrin police is the result of internal antagonism among the “business clan” it will be very difficult to hide it in tiny Montenegro. If it is a political liquidation, Zugic's murder is certainly just a foreboding of a hot summer and possible major conflicts

AIM Podgorica, 2 June, 2000

On Wednesday about 23.00 h, in front of the building in which he lived, Goran Zugic, advisor for security of the president of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, was killed.

According to the information collected so far, Zugic was murdered by the recognisable “Belgrade” recipe: while he was stepping out of an “Audi 6” (Zugic had no personal bodyguards) an unknown man walked up to him and shot a few bullets at his head and chest. Then he ran away, so that a two-day intensive search organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro (MUP), which included control of all major roads, airports, railway and bus stations, but especially border crossings, yielded no results, although in the meantime several hundred people were interrogated.

So far, the only thing known is that the murderer – according to eye-witnesses – is a thin male with black hair, between 175 and 180 centimetres tall. According to unofficial information the weapon used for the killing was a 7.65 mm calibre gun, and the police found three shells on the place of the crime

The news spread around Montenegro like lightning, causing incredulity and fear.

Whether violence has moved from the streets of Belgrade to Podgorica – is the question which explanation is still sought for. There is another, equally difficult dilemma: is the murder of Goran Zugic an announcement of radicalisation of Montenegrin political crisis after local elections scheduled to take place next Sunday in Podgorica and Niksic (one third of Montenegrin voters live in these municipalities)?

Many people tend to give a political connotation to the murder of Goran Zugic, specifying that official Belgrade is, among other, using this to move the centre of the crisis to Montenegro. Deputy chairman of the assembly of Montenegro, Rifat Rastoder, said: “Since this abominable act happened on the eve of the local elections in Montenegro and at the 'height' of the crisis in the relations between Montenegro and Serbia, I'm afraid that this is a direct desperate attempt to spill over the 'gunman' policy from Serbia into Montenegro in order to create a pretext for a possible attempt to introduce state of emergency in Montenegro”.

In his farewell speech to his associate, friend and the man at whose wedding he had been the best man, president of Montenegro also left the dilemma opened why his advisor for security had been murdered. “It is most unrewarding to try to decipher whether it was essentially a shot at Goran Zugic”, said Djukanovic and sent word to “those who might be gloating today” that “nothing will discourage and waver us in our intent to continue with the policy which will lead Montenegro as a stable, democratic and open community by the road of peace to join the company of developed European nations and states”.

On the other hand, “those who might be gloating”, that is, official Belgrade and its political emissaries in Podgorica were more than reserved after the murder. Federal prime minister, Momir Bulatovic, which is for majority of the citizens of Montenegro incomprehensible, declared: “In this specific case I have no comments”!?

That the murder of the advisor of president Djukanovic could be used for unexpected moves of Belgrade against Podgorica is also signalled by a statement of federal minister of information Goran Matic. A day after Zugic's death he declared that the repressive law on terrorism which is in preparation by the government of Serbia intended for its showdown with the opposition and Otpor movement should be implemented in whole of FRY, because, as he said, of the “latest developments in Montenegro”.

Nevertheless, nobody can give the answer to the question who and why killed Goran Zugic?

It is interesting that he came to Montenegro only in 1992. Before that he had lived in Bosnia & Herzegovina where he was born. He finished elementary and secondary school in Tuzla, and Law School in Sarajevo with an average mark 9.67 as the best student in the generation. Before breaking out of the conflict in B&H he was the head of security service in Tuzla. After the war had begun he moved to Montenegro where his parents had come from. He immediately got a prominent post in Montenegrin MUP. He was appointed head of security centre in Herceg Novi. Who and due to what had recommended him for such a high post nobody knows. Many people link his quick rise to his friendship with Aco Djukanovic, brother of Montenegrin president who lived in Herceg Novi at the time. He remained at the post of the head of police in Herceg Novi until autumn 1995 when the then minister of police, who is now the prime minister, Filip Vujanovic, nominated him head of Podgorica security centre. It was a precedent that a man who had not lived a single day in this city became the head of the police in Montenegrin capital. Besides, at the same time Montenegrin assembly instigated proceedings for establishing responsibility of Zugic for alleged abuse of office. The accusations have never been proved, but from the hearing it became quite clear that at the time data on Goran Zugic were collected by state security service of Montenegro, state security service of Republika Srpska and the counter-intelligence service of the Army of Yugoslavia!

Nevertheless, Zugic continued to rise in his career and in March 1998 he was nominated advisor for security of the president of Montenegro. In independent printed media from the time (1995) it was stated: “an intelligent, handsome man, somewhat headstrong, but a good policeman, in good relations with leaders of Montenegro”.

It is easy to assume that in his short but turbulent career Zugic acquired many friends, but enemies as well. That is why after his murder space has been opened for numerous speculations.

In one of them there is a reminder that just a couple of days before Goran Zugic was murdered, a showdown with “separatist Montenegrin leadership” had been announced. The command of the second army of the Army of Yugoslavia stationed in Montenegro issued a special order to its officers which was published by Podgorica daily Vijesti. According to this order the main job of the army is to deal with the opponents of the “policy of state authorities of FRY”. The struggle against Montenegrin “separatists”, “terrorist groups” and Serbian students gathered around Otpor movement is especially stressed.

Giving of this order at the height of the election campaign certainly was not a pure coincidence. Many tend to believe that the murder of Goran Zugic might have a strong influence on the approaching declaration of the will of Montenegrin voters. Murder of a close associate of president Djukanovic has for an instance interrupted the election campaign in which the ruling coalition of Montenegrin president had unquestioned advantage.

It remains to be seen after Wednesday night, which will have the decisive influence on the choice of the voters - defiance or fear. Thousands of people who did the last honours to Goran Zugic at Podgorica cemetery are (not) a good enough signal. Definitely, a lot will be clarified in less than ten days. If the murder of Zugic is the result of internal conflicts in the “business clan”, it will be very difficult to hush it up in tiny Montenegro. If it is a political liquidation, this is just the beginning of a hot Montenegrin summer in which the forthcoming elections are just the beginning of much more serious conflicts.

Zoran Radulovic

(AIM)