Montenegro Urged to Honour Officer Who Refused to Shell Croatia

A pier on fire in Dubrovnik, Croatia during the war in November 1991. Photo: EPA/PETER NORTHALL.

"We call on the government, the parliament of Montenegro and other relevant institutions to point out the importance of remembering admiral Barovic, and to promote that universal story of honour, dignity and humanity in a time of nationalism and destruction," the Centre for Civic Education said in a statement.

It said that the government should promote a culture of remembrance as one of the pillars of sustainable peace and coexistence.

As a commander of the Pula military-maritime sector in Croatia, Barovic took part in negotiations about the withdrawal of Yugoslav People's Army from the city in 1991.

Media reported that during the negotiations, Barovic said that Croatian towns would not be attacked while he was in command.

After he was ordered to shell coastal towns in northern Croatia from navy boats, Barovic resigned and then committed suicide.

According to media reports, in his suicide note, he wrote that he "decided to die with dignity because Montenegrins cannot fight and destroy a nation that did not do anything wrong".

In July 2016, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic posthumously honored Barovic with the county's Order for Bravery.

As part of Yugoslavia, Montenegro took part directly in the wars in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic, although it saw no conflict on its own soil.

From December 1991, the Yugoslav People's Army, including a large number of Montenegrin soldiers and reservists, besieged the Croatian city of Dubrovnik and Konavle region for nine months.

Dubrovnik's old town, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, suffered considerable damage...