What did Ranković say about the event in Bar?

Continuation of yesterday text "Who is responsible: from accusations to silence"

From the context, it can be inferred that this is an investigation conducted by General Boško Đuričković, who remains unknown to this day, because Đuričković, in his memoirs, made public in 1990, neither states on whose orders the report was made, nor to whom it was delivered, nor what it contained. Whether a "copy" of this report remained with Masoničić, we can only find out if his ("prepared"?) book about this event appears one day. However, despite this, Masoničić claimed that "had access to documents from the interrogation of the actors in the Bar tragedy and that the former commander of the 10th Montenegrin Brigade, Gašo Marković, as well as the political commissar, battalion and company commanders, even machine gunners, were dismissed." This would be an unequivocal confirmation that the brigade leadership did not consider itself "sinless" in these events. However, in pointing out or "justifying" the participation of the inhabitants of Bar in this crime, Masoničić reminds "da After the outbreak of war, a large number of Montenegrins who were colonists in Kosovo, especially in Metohija, fled from there, and the Italian occupier did not allow them to disperse to their native places throughout Montenegro, but about 400 families of colonists were settled in Bar. Masoničić believes that the presence of these people increased the anti-Albanian sentiment among the permanent residents of Bar and created a favorable atmosphere for some people to think about revenge, but not only against some Albanians who had done evil, but against Albanians in general. Albanian recruits in Bar were not massacred only by members of the 10th Montenegrin Brigade, but also by civilians, ordinary citizens who had weapons".[1]

Although Masoničić's "argument" is factually sustainable, it is logically difficult to accept. Especially if one keeps in mind that after the "investigation" and the dismissal (?), which no one mentions, of the brigade commander Gašo Marković, his deputy Nikola Živković was appointed in his place. According to the quoted recollection of Vaso Markov Vujović, the deputy commander Nikola Živković (1912-1980) was in the "Monopol" building where the greatest massacre took place during the entire event. What additionally requires attention is the fact that Nikola Živković was a descendant of colonists from Metohija.The capitulation of the former Yugoslav army in the April War found him on the Albanian front, from where he returned in full war gear to his hometown (the village of Kupinovo, near the Ostrog Monastery), where his parents from Metohija (the village of Kruševac near Peć) had fled from fascist terror.[2] Even his brief biography does not mention the time and reason for his appointment as brigade commander, but based on other documents it can be unequivocally stated that this was done after the crime, which occurred on March 31, 1945. It should also be noted that apart from what Vaso Markov Vujović wrote about his behavior in this event, there are no other documents.

At the same time, we must point out that the military and political leadership of Yugoslavia at the time had information about this crime. For Tito's reaction, we would have to wait for new documents, especially the report of the commission that was established and conducted the investigation after the event. However, the reaction of Aleksandar Ranković ("icons of Serbian nationalism" - Nikolić) and at that time, probably the most influential member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia from Serbia. Namely, at the founding congress of the Communist Party of Serbia, which was held only a month after the crimes in Bar (8-12 May 1945). At the congress it was emphasized that "The basic task of the Communist Party of Serbia is to fight against chauvinistic and hegemonic tendencies, mainly Greater Serbian ones, the fight for fraternal relations among all national groups living in Serbia, Vojvodina, Kosovo and Metohija, the fight for the full realization of the national rights of all national minorities." [3]

Aleksandar Ranković emphasized the following in his speech: "Me We would be wrong if we did not mention certain terrible mistakes made here at this party meeting, which were committed precisely against the Albanians, which we have spoken about here. You know that the task of mobilization was set in Kosovo and Metohija. That mobilization was carried out, but the party organization, the party leadership in Kosovo and Metohija did not take all measures to ensure proper mobilization, but to have them volunteer for our army, to understand that it was their duty to respond to the call of our army and to participate in the fight against the occupiers and domestic traitors. Things happened that best speak of chauvinism, local patriotism and the generally incorrect attitude of communists towards the masses. During the transportation of a number of Albanians to fill the units of the Fourth Army, an incident broke out, which was not such that it could not be localized. I will not go into details. One Albanian got angry with one of the escorts, took out his rifle and killed him. So, he killed our comrade fighter. This is an example that we who work in the army and those who work in the field must learn from. I think that such a thing, which causes us great damage, which destroys the reputation, not only of our army, but also of our party, destroys the reputation of our leaders. Another case, which is again a consequence of bureaucracy, is that some Albanians from that transport were placed in the premises where there used to be a warehouse, a powder magazine. And 130 people suffocated there... Albanians lost trust. That is clear and they did not lose it only because they felt the old Yugoslavia on their own skin, but they also lost it because of the mistakes that our leaders made towards them. All this could have been avoided, if only our leadership in Kosovo had carried out proper mobilization and carried out proper transportation of those soldiers.".

Any objective analyst would point out the following important facts that are expressed in this speech. First, Aleksandar Ranković was not someone who would speak irresponsibly about this event, if he had not been informed as the head of the OZNE for Yugoslavia (established on May 13, 1944). The second is the question of the place and fate of the submitted report. Second, Ranković mentions some details that we do not find in other actors of the event. ("But our comrades, the leaders, instead of resolving the whole matter in a way that did not escalate the conflict, they wanted to punish them, they wanted to use reprisals, they wanted to shoot 40 Albanians for one fighter. Riots broke out. Some Albanians started throwing bombs. It may have been a few bombs. But our leaders opened fire and killed 300 Albanians."[4] (underlined by R. Š.)) We have no doubt that this, stated a month after the event, is well-founded and that it explains the elements of rebellion among the recruits through the occurrences of throwing bombs, seizing weapons (Vujović), and the constant mention of "shootings"" from the surviving recruits. In addition, this example of a bizarre understanding "revenge"" by Montenegrins in the 20th century was not alone in justifying crimes (example Šahovići and others).

On the other hand, we do not find anywhere, except in Ranković, that the murder"our fighter"" wanted to carry out collective retaliation by shooting 40 fighters. Why exactly so many and was the hunt for unarmed Albanians, along the entire Bar field from Monopol to Stari Bar, experienced by them as"shooting"" can be inferred from the memories of the surviving recruits. Who was that "our fighter and under what circumstances he died". This is about a fighter of the 2nd Battalion Dabanović Sava Božo who was killed in his birthplace (Kurilo, March 31, 1945). The fact that he was a local from Bar, who was not yet 28 years old, who, according to the testimony of some: "A Kosovan imperceptibly jumped up to our escort, tore off his rifle belt, and at that moment another Kosovan came to his aid, snatched the rifle from our escort and killed him. At that moment our other escort immediately jumped up, killed this Kosovan who had killed our escort...(..?) And so this convoy continued its journey to Monopol and entered the courtyard of Monopol. The others arrived in groups but had nowhere to stand and the columns stopped. I entered the courtyard of Monopol and saw some commotion there" - Vujović. The then deputy and then brigade commander, Nikola Živković, besides stating that after this murder "suddenly there was a commotion among the Shiptars and one of the group threw a bomb at the fighters of the 10th Montenegrin Brigade"[5] does not provide any further information regarding this event.

Đuričković, on the other hand, says on this occasion: "that at the time the recruits were approaching Bar, during the rest of the column,An Albanian recruit killed a Montenegrin escort, Dabanović. The other escorts were unable to identify the Albanian. [6] because he had mixed with a group of other recruits. The other fighters of the 10th Montenegrin Brigade were quickly informed about this. That moment caused great indignation and readiness for energetic action, not to mention revenge, if something similar happens again. That is why positions were occupied around the road along which the column was moving, as well as around the Tobacco Station (Monopol) circle, where the mobilized Albanians were to be stationed. The column finally arrived at the entrance to Novi Bar and was to turn left in front of the Volujica hill, into the circle that was intended for its accommodation. Then the patrol separated those 16 (?), previously suspected of Dabanović's murderer among them, and went with them to the local command for the purpose of conducting an investigation...

The author is a regular member of CANU, BANU and DANU.

To be continued tomorrow

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[1] Nikolić Goran, n.d. 110.

[2] Tenth Montenegrin National Liberation Strike Brigade, Titograd 1984, 225-228.

[3] Founding Congress of the Communist Party of Serbia, Belgrade 1972, p. 226.

[4] Goran Nikolić published Ranković's full speech at the congress in Appendix VIII, p. 146.

[5] Živković 1990, p. 260; Nikolić, p. 99.

[6] Vujović, however, claims that the murderer was killed immediately and that the one who helped him was brought to Monopol.