Croatia declares Montenegrin officials persona non grata over WWII genocide resolution

Croatia has taken the unprecedented step of declaring three high-ranking officials from Montenegro persona non grata, following Montenegro’s parliamentary declaration alleging genocide in a World War II-era Croatian concentration camp. According to reports from AP, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed to Montenegro that parliament speaker Andrija Mandic, legislator Milan Knezevic, and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic are now unwelcome in European Union territory.

Why is this relevant

The confrontation highlights how historical issues can have serious contemporary geopolitical implications in the Balkans. The dispute between Croatia and Montenegro follows earlier historically motivated disputes between North Macedonia and Bulgaria and Greece.  

Context

The resolution came in the heels of Montenegro’s support for a UN resolution commemorating the Srebrenica genocide, which deeply angered Serbia, which holds considerable influence in Montenegro, where a significant minority identifies as ethnic Serbs.

Montenegro’s Parliament approved a resolution on “genocide” at the Jasenovac prison camp in Croatia, where significant atrocities were committed against tens of thousands of ethnic Serbs, Jews, and anti-Nazi Croats during World War II. During World War II, Croatia was governed by the Ustaše regime, a pro-Nazi puppet government under the leadership of Ante Pavelić. The Independent State of Croatia (NDH), established in 1941, was aligned with Nazi Germany and Italy and implemented harsh policies that targeted ethnic and religious minorities, including Serbs, Jews, and Roma.

One of the most infamous sites associated with Croatia during WWII is the Jasenovac concentration camp complex, where tens of thousands of people, primarily Serbs but also Jews, Roma, and anti-fascist Croats, were imprisoned and killed. The atrocities committed at Jasenovac, including brutal executions, forced labor, and mass killings, are among the darkest chapters of Croatian history during this period.

Croatia vehemently criticized the resolution, describing it as “unacceptable, inappropriate, and unnecessary,” accusing Montenegro of exploiting historical tragedies for short-term political gains rather than fostering a constructive culture of remembrance.