Prospects for Independence for Crna Gora
Paul Moon (PaulMoon@ati.ac.nz)
Mon, 01 Jul 1996 11:07:56 -0700
Two facts seem clear from recent comments in your publication regarding
Crna Gora. The first is that within Crna Gora, there is rising
resentment towards the socialist Serbian regime which still exercises
excessive control over the state. The second point, which is allied to
this, is that within Crna Gora, there are several strands of independence
movements - some socialist, some royalist, some republican, and so forth.
The challenge for Serbia in the next few years will be to maintain
possession of Crna Gora without risking alienating it in the same way
that it alienated Croatia in the years leading up to that country's
independence.
However, in light of recent events, there is a strong likelihood that the
pressure from within Crna Gora for greater autonomy from Milosevic's
Serbia will increase. As one writer has recently stated, only 9% of
people in Crna Gora consider themselves Serbs. This is less than in
Kosovo!
If recent historical trends in the Balkans are anything to go by, then
Crna Gora might be on the verge of its own campaign for independence.