In this passage from “Osmanlı Arşiv Belgelerinde Arnavutluk” from the 1870s-1880s, we can read that the Montenegrins threatened to invade the Albanian region of Ispiç (Spizza, Spič, Spiç) and that the Bajraktar (flag-bearer) of Spizza resisted Montenegro. Albanian forces from Shkodër and Malesia then aided the Spizzanotti (Italian for people of Spic) when the Montenegrins attacked.

Cited:

“The coastal town of Ispiç, within the district of Bar, was mostly of the Latin order, and the majority of its inhabitants and the flag-leader (Bajraktar) were opposed to Montenegrins. While there were many Orthodox among them, who submitted to Montenegrins, the bayraktar would take the flag and march out into the open. The people of his town, regardless of their religion or sect, would come under the flag and obey the bayraktar.

This was the custom and tradition of the region, and the people of Ispiç always opposed the Montenegrins. The Montenegrins had the intention of invading this town of Ispiç in order to move to the coast, and even the French consul in Ispiç had promised them this. However, at that time, the French were everywhere. Given their current influence, if the Montenegrins were invading the Ispiç District, it was not necessary to consider it as a done deal.

Consequently, the Montenegrins entered the Ispiç District with a number of soldiers, but the Ispiç flag-bearer, assisted by the Shkodra side, sent a detachment from the Shkodra Malësia (highlands) to their aid. When Abdi Pasha saw this, he immediately went to the Ispiç District with two regiments of magnificent soldiers. He captured the ruined castle on a mountaintop known as Nehay (Nehaj) Castle and began construction and he had taken care of the necessary repairs and maintain sufficient orderly order and to preserve the district of Ispiç.

In short, the flag officer of Ispiç agreed. The district of Ispiç would have been annexed to Montenegro. However, due to the sectarian differences, the flag officer of Ispiç did not abandon his district to Montenegro. While the district of Bar was annexed to Montenegro in the great Berlin assembly, the secret of the Ispiç district, which was subject to the aforementioned district, was not given to Montenegro but was left to the Austrian State. This is the wisdom behind it.

While the public, who were excited about the Bervech-i balâ Abdi Pasha, were busy with this İspiç incident and refrained from taking any action against him, some events occurred that would later excite the public opinion.”

Source

https://www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr/varliklar/dosyalar/eskisiteden/yayinlar/osmanli-arsivi-yayinlar/osmanli_arsiv_belgelerinde_arnavutluk.pdf