Is Kosovo Liberation Army Present in Montenegro

Waking a Sleeping Lion

Although the police and other official agencies claim that there is not a trace of KLA in Montenegro, some parties threaten that troubled future unavoidably awaits Montenegro

AIM Podgorica, March 21, 2001

Similarly to Macedonia, Montenegro is also threatened by the risk of the war stirred up by Albanian extremists. The risk is increasing in proportion with the increase of popularity of the idea of Montenegrin independence.

This is the summary of the statements Montenegrin public is "bombed" with in the past few days. The avalanche was started by Glas Crnogoraca daily. In the first issue of this newspaper published after an interruption of more than a year on Monday March 19, with the sub-title "Latest News" and bombastic title "The Kosovo Syndrome" the following was written:

"As Glas Crnogoraca learns, this morning in Gusinje, on many apartment buildings and shop windows, graffiti could be seen that were signed by the so-called Liberation Army of Plav and Gusinje. Posters with similar content were also put up...

That same day, Tanjug federal news agency took up the cue. The following information appeared : "Members of the self-proclaimed Kosovo Liberation Army were observed in the past three days in the hills of Gusinje municipality which is in the bordering region of Montenegro towards Kosovo and Albania, Tanjug learns in well-informed sources in Podgorica...".

Other “pro-Yugoslav” media in Montenegro joined in the “game” (Dan, Politika, Vecernje novosti... federal TV station Yu-info). Although the allegations were denied by the leaders of Plav municipality (from all the parties represented in its municipal assembly), the citizens of Plav and Gusinje and leaders of Montenegrin Ministry of the interior, the listed media continued with the campaign of spreading fear.

The statement of the spokesman of DUA Ferhat Dinosa was also ignored although there is no doubt that he is a politician whose reputation among the Albanians in Montenegro is very high. And Dinosa, referring to the testimonies of the Main Board of this party from the north of Montenegro, denied the stories on the appearance of pro-Greater Albania leaflets on the territory of Plav and added “As concerning the Albanians who live in it, Montenegro can be at peace. Nothing of what we have seen in the region will happen here”.

Instead to publish these information and “cool down the game”, the campaign of intimidation of Montenegrins and the attempts to stir up animosity between members of the majority and the minority peoples who live in Montenegro continued through party statements and public appearances of the leaders of “pro-Yugoslav” parties. From federal Prime Minister and Vice-President of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) Zoran Zizic, but also the People's Party (NS), SNS, NSS, and President of Montenegrin office of the Serb Radical Party (SRS) Momir Vojvodic, almost in unison, identical message arrived – only unity with Serbia can save Montenegro, because, small and incapable, without the Army of Yugoslavia, it cannot defend itself from the plague of Albanian extremists.

This was most vividly described by the journalist of Dani: “It is more than clear that sovereign Montenegro would soon be dismembered into Prlic's (official of B&H HDZ), Perovic's (leader of Liberal League of Montenegro) and Dinosa's regions...”

This seems to be the essence of the whole story. Opponents of the idea on Montenegrin state independence have drawn the last “scarecrow” from their sleeve – the allegation that, if it becomes independent, Montenegro will be “swallowed” by malevolent neighbours. They even disregard the fact that the Albanian minority in Montenegro forms hardly five per cent of the population, so it is no serious threat to peace and territorial integrity of this Republic.

That is why President of the Executive Board of the strongest Montenegrin Party, Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Miodrag Vukovic, referring to the information of the relevant state services, says that the responsibility for “fabricating KLA in the north of Montenegro” rests with “certain political structures and para-military formations” which “aware of their own weakness start manipulations, fabrications and slander”.

This is the third time in a row already that members of KLA are “attacking” Montenegro. For the first time the stories about members of the KLA in Montenegro were heard in autumn 1998 after the tide of refugees of several thousand Kosovo Albanians arrived in Montenegro (after a short stay in Plav village of Meteh, this refugee camp was deported to Albania).

The then federal deputy prime minister Danilo Vuksanovic accused Montenegrin authorities in the Republican parliament and “a few officers of the army of Yugoslavia” of having made free passage through Montenegro possible for the members of the KLA. Montenegrin ministers from the ranks of the People's Party responded. Reproaching him of being uninformed, they recommended Vuksanovic to “find out in the General Staff of the Army of Yugoslavia who and why” had enabled this action. And that put an end to the whole story.

Several months later, a new scandal followed. The then federal prime minister and president of SNP Momir Bulatovic and vice-president of SNP Predrag Bulatovic determined that 800 “members of special units of the so-called KLA” were on the territory of Montenegro and that the government tolerated their presence. Moreover, the two Bulatovics declared that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Montenegro recruited a part of these forces into its ranks. Montenegrin MUP denied these allegations stating that these were “lies which can endanger political and national stability of Montenegro”. In any case, even after that Montenegro remained peaceful.

Will everything pass peacefully after the latest “discoveries” of the activities of Albanian extremists on the territory of Montenegro? The developments in Macedonia warn that one should be cautious. Contrary to that, local citizens of Albanian ethnic origin have proved their loyalty to Montenegro a number of times in the past decade.

And the “graffito war” is no novelty on the territory of Montenegro. Many still remember the scribbled messages that adorned the fronts of Montenegrin cities: “This is Serbia”, “Death to the Turks”, “Muslims – Black Crows...” or “Hang the Serbs”... It should be assumed that the latter is also from the same source.

One could not say that this campaign is unexpected. Simply – this week's campaign is the announcement of a dirtiest election (pre-referendum) campaign in Montenegro. Much is at stake and many will not shrink from any means to achieve their goal. Hate speech has many times before proved to be an efficient means for winning the inclination of the masses. Of course, the “antidote” is also known: timely informing of the public and improvement of social awareness of the necessity of tolerance and co-existence...

It can be concluded that Montenegro still is not threatened from outside, at least not as seriously as by its internal problems.

Zoran RADULOVIC

(AIM)