Montenegro Paid Damages to Bosnia, But Croatia?

Croatia is seeking around 35 million euros of damages from Montenegro, which has allegedly been solved in stakes in Montenegrin companies.

During the war in the Balkans in 1992, the authorities in Montenegro deported more than 100 refugees from Bosnia Herzegovina. 86 of them were killed upon returning, and only nine survived.

The refugees came from Foce, Rogatice or Srebrenica, but Montenegro did not accept them, but sent them back to die. It has been decided that Montenegro will pay the families of the victims and the survivors around four billion euros of damages, as an answer to 42 requests for damages.

As the daily “Dnevni Avaz” writes, the children of the deceased will receive 30 thousand euros each, the parents and spouses of the deceased will get 25 thousand, and brothers and sister will receive 10 thousand euros.

Those that have survived the deportation will received from 10 to 170 thousand euros, depending upon the time that they spent in Serbian concentration camps. However, regardless of the damages, the criminal proceedings will continue against those who are responsible for the extradition of the Bosniaks to Radovan Karadzic.

35 million euros is not nearly enough for losses

“Montenegro does not have the money for damages, but the symbolic gesture is important, that they decided to get over the ideology that pulled them into the war” said Ivo Josipovic, a member of the parliamentary committee for international cooperation. He commented the headlines in the media about the damages to Croatia, firstly the attack on Dubrovnik.

The estimates is approximately 35 million euros, which Josipovic does not consider to be a large enough amount, that should make up for all of the damage that was done to Dubrovnik and to Dubrovnik’s residents.

“They will certainly not be able to cover the damage. There is nobody who can pay for that, but it is a move in the sense of making up and in good faith” said Josipovic. He added that relations between Croatia and Montenegro are currently very good, even ideal.

Only damages for thief of livestock has been paid

Also, the media have been speculating that there will be nothing of war damages, at least as far as the victims are concerned. In its defence, Montenegro stressed that during the war they were a part of Yugoslavia, and did not make decisions on who, when and where to attack.

Furthermore, there are doubts that Croatia has already made an agreement with Montenegro about damages, but stakes in Montenegrin companies are in question.

However, Montenegro has already paid for damages that relate to the theft of livestock during the war, of 375 thousand euros, but no other compensation has been delivered.