Monday, April 26, 1999 Published at 01:21 GMT 02:21 UK
Montenegro warns of destabilisation
Montenegro's police are outnumbered but loyal
By Brian Barron in the Montenegran capital, Podgorica
The president of the Montenegro Republic, the junior partner in the Yugoslav Federation, has accused the Belgrade authorities of trying to destabilise his country, which has remained neutral in the conflict over Kosovo.
He said the Yugoslav leader, Mr Milosevic, is now trying to use the 20,000 strong federal army based in Montenegro to take over all government duties.
Backing for police
Asked if the Montenegran police force, which has 8,000 armed officers, would resist any military coup, the president said he has no doubt they would defend both the country and its democratic system.
His remarks came amid continuing tension here between pro-democracy moderates and those who believe Montenegro should support Serbia in its war with Nato.
Renewed Nato air strikes against the Yugoslav military could undermine support for the youthful president of Montenegro but they cannot be ruled out as the Western alliance tries to throttle supplies reaching Serbia
This country remains very jittery.
On Sunday we were arrested at gunpoint by miltary gurards while filming the capital from a public park. Our lives were threatened and video tapes seized.
Later the military police intervened and behaved very properly, but the incident is a measure of the underlying tension.