The Montenegrin Uprising was a period of unrest and violence between various political factions in Montenegro which culminated in the overthrow of the incumbent government and Montenegro's exit from NATO.
Timeline[]
On the 4th March 2024 alleged leaked NATO documents were leaked indicating plans for a invasion of Serbia and the start of a ‘Second Balkan War’ to ensure U.S. interests in the region were secure.
The documents also showed shady personal transactions between several major arms companies and PMCs and the incumbent Montenegrin President, Mladen Bojanić, who had previously been embroiled in several corruption scandals.
While NATO and the Government denied any such plans and transactions as Russian proganda, many in Montenegro, already discontent with their countries membership of NATO and poor economic outlook took to the streets in protest. They demanded NATO leave their country and Bonjanić to stand down as President.
Bojanić refused both demands and sent in police to quell the protestors. This would only escalate the protests into riots.
On the 16th April a group of mainly Serbian youths would assault and off duty U.S. soldier, hospitalising him. The youths were later arrested.
On the 7th May a similar attack was attempted by another group of youths. However this time the U.S. soldier, Jason Ward, was armed with an M18 pistol he had illegally carried with him out of his base. Four shots were fired killing one youth and injuring two others. Released CCTV footage of the event shows Ward firing a shot into the back of one of the assaulters as they tried to run.
Ward was sent back to the U.S. for trial but eventually released a month later with the incident being classed as self defence. There was widespread outrage in Montenegro over the treatment of the case, both by the Montenegrin Government, and the U.S. Military.
By June 2024 it became clear that the government had lost control of the situation. The economy was on the brink of collapse from continued strikes and refusal to pay tax, and their were widespread reports that both members of the police and military were refusing to obey orders.
On the 27th July, in a leaked phone call Bojanić called on NATO to intervene and end the situation. The unidentified NATO representative seemed sympathetic, but unwilling to take action - saying it would only inflame the situation. This was the final straw for many.
On the 29th July at 2:00 am a group of 629 armed soldiers and police accompanied by around 7,000 rioters, lead by Major Arsenije Rajčić, would storm the Legislature, Blue Palace and several other government sites, briefly engaging with some loyalist forces and private security. By midday the fighting had ceased and a video released showing a captured Bojanić signing his resignation from office as president.