Independent Montenegro scores BIG points with Bosnia

[Djamila]

Since Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia-Montenegro last year, it has been working diligently to improve relations with Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia.

This week they've done something that has shocked and pleasantly surprised Bosnians.

Montenegrin courts have ruled in favor of Bosnia and Herzegovina in two cases that remained dormant under Serbia-Montenegro.

The first case involves the execution of 34 Bosniak university students. They fled the genocide in Bosnia to northern Montenegro, which is populated mainly by Bosniaks. Before they could make it to a Bosniak-populated city, they were arrested by the Montenegrin police, handed over to Serbian forces, and all but 6 were executed - these six had Serbs in their immediate family.

The Montenegrin court ruled the Montenegrin police were responsible for their murder because they knowingly handed them over to Serbian forces. They have ordered the Montenegrin government to pay quite a large settlement to all 28 families.

In another incident, a Montenegrin bus returning vacationers from the coast to the Bosniak-populated north was stopped by Serbian police. 12 Montenegrin women, all ethnically Bosniak, were kidnapped, sold to Serbian forces, and executed.

In that case the Montenegrin courts issued arrest warrants for two former police officers now living in Argentina and ordered the government to pay, again, a sizable settlement to the families of the victims.

Bravo, Montenegro!