By Andrej Nikolaidis, CdM columnist
A renowned Serbian historian, Rados Ljusic, has published in ‘Politika’ (eng. Politics) – which gives the weight of the regime voice to his view – an article titled ‘Serbia, don’t trust Montenegro’. https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/617807/Srbijo-ne-veruj-Crnoj-Gori
Mr Ljusic is angry and hurt. He can’t understand how Montenegro could vote for the Srebrenica Resolution. As a matter of fact, Ljusic’s angry about everything and everyone in Montenegro. In his interpretation, Montenegro citizens – whom he derogatorily calls “Montenegrins” – are the bad guys. Traitorous scum. But Ljusic doesn’t think any better of our fellow citizens and relatives, the Montenegrin Serbs. He says: “We shall not see Njegos’ lamp lit again in Montenegro, because there is no Serbian hand ready to light it”.
Mr Ljusic says this at a time when Milan Knezevic and Andrija Mandic are trying hard – I’d say by using superhuman efforts – to “bring back the tricolor, Serbian language and Cyrillic alphabet”, and even carry out an ethnic engineering and increase the number of Serbs in Montenegro, all in agreement with Prime Minister, Milojko Spajic.
And yet, it’s not enough, according to Ljusic. What does that man expect from our citizens and cousins? To get up early and burn Montenegrin villages across Katunska Nahija all day and night?
Mr Ljusic suggests that Serbia “makes the demilitarized zone between the two countries”. What can I say… in the spirit of good neighbourly relations, all disputable issues should be openly discussed. This one as well.
Ljusic’s tone is culturally racist. It’s a tone of a speaker of a wannabe empire, who criticizes Montenegro for refusing to be a colony.
Ljusic complains: “Human reason cannot determine what’s worse in the Serbian-Montenegrin relations in the 20th century: the Christmas Uprising (1918), the declaration of Montenegro as one of the Yugoslav republics, the exit of Montenegro from the FRY (2006), the recognition of Kosovo by NATO forces with with the opening of the Montenegrin embassy in Pristina (2008) and voting for genocide in the UN (2024)”.
Well, of course it can. The Serbian occupation of Montenegro in 1918 was the worst. Everything that follows is a consequence of that shameless and brutal act. As he refuses to understand it, Ljusic doesn’t understand anything about Montenegro.
Apart from the “demilitirized zone”, Ljusic threatens Montenegro with the Albanians and Croats as well. Who are, by the way, our fellow citizens, and equally valuable citizens of Montenegro, just like Mandic and Knezevic.
The author writes: “This is the defeat of both Serbia and Serbdom, not the defeat of Montenegro; she wanted this. And she should be allowed to enjoy herself until the Albanians from the south and the Croats from the north destroy her. The Serbs would then have to look at her fate with cynicism, towards which she is driven by immeasurable ingratitude towards Serbia and Serbs, as well as Russia and Russians”.
Why, for God’s sake, does Mr Ljusic think that Montenegro cannot defend itself without Serbia’s help? Maybe because, without that help, Montenegro successfully defended itself for centuries against Turkey, which ran over Serbia? Or because of the impact of the Serbian army on the defense of Ostrog – a priceless impact. Which is like that because it’s somewhat less than the impact the army of Martians had on the nine bloody days of Ostrog? Or maybe because of the Battle of Mojkovac, during which approx. 10.000 Montenegrins defended approx. several hundreds of thousands of Serbian soldiers from the Austro-Hungarians, who (Serbian soldiers) followed the advice ‘Don’t turn around, son’ and went to Corfu, most likely led by the song ‘Come to Greece’.
If Mr Ljusic points out to the achievements of the Serbian army in the latest wars in Croatia and Kosovo, then it’s even more bizarre – because the army whose support Mr Ljusic denies to Montenegro was defeated convincingly in both. Just like B-H was defeated as well.
I know that better is a neighbour than a brother, as people like to say. But I also know that you should treat yourself first, then others. And the army Mr Ljusic is threatening not to engage to protect Montenegro is not good even for itself.
It is what it is. You can’t please everyone. I guess we’ll have to do it all alone. Just like we’re used to.
But, wait… We’re not alone. We’re a part of the strongest military alliance in the history. NATO. And Croatia and Albania are there as well.
(The opinions and views of our columnists aren’t necessarily those of the CdM news team)
