57 Montenegrin citizens disappeared in the conflicts in Yugoslavia

In armed conflicts on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, 57 Montenegrin citizens disappeared and persons whose applicants, at the time they reported their disappearance, had their residence in Montenegro, announced the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

"Out of 57 persons wanted by the Commission for Missing Persons of Montenegro, 44 ​​persons are wanted in the territory of Kosovo, ten persons in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and three persons in the territory of Croatia", the Ministry announced on the occasion of the International Day of the Missing, which is celebrated tomorrow.

They indicated that tomorrow the memory of the victims of enforced disappearance, disappearance in armed conflicts and crimes against humanity will be commemorated.

"That day reminds us that elucidating the fate of missing persons is a civilisational, legal and moral obligation towards the victims, their families and society as a whole, which cannot be diminished with the passage of time", the announcement states.

Armed conflicts on the territory of the former Yugoslavia caused, it is added, many serious consequences and massive violations of human rights.

The Ministry said that the large number of persons missing after the cessation of armed conflicts is rightly considered one of the most tragic consequences.

"Solving the issue of missing persons in the territory of the former Yugoslavia is an important humanitarian, but also a political issue, because the process of reconciliation and the building of multi-ethnic societies based on democracy, the rule of law and tolerance in the region largely depends on its resolution," said the Ministry.

They stated that Montenegro pays special attention to solving the issue of missing persons in armed conflicts, as a humanitarian issue of inestimable importance for the families of missing persons, but also in a political sense as a significant indicator of the real democratization of society and the state and its readiness to face the consequences of human rights violations. rights caused by armed conflicts.

The missing persons represent, as stated in the statement, a powerful symbol of the failure to protect individual rights and the rule of law, and they are a constant reminder of human vulnerability and arbitrariness.

"The problem of missing persons contributes to maintaining an atmosphere of mistrust, so it is important to seek an answer for each individual case of a missing person," said the Ministry.

They added that it is important to try to solve this problem at the level of society, where it negatively affects the credibility and perspective of political, democratic and law enforcement institutions.