A sheriff has issued a warrant for the removal of a self-styled African “tribe” from privately-owned land in the Scottish Borders.
The order relates to the members of the so-called 'Kingdom of Kubala', who have been camping in woodland near Jedburgh for the past few weeks.
Issuing the order at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Friday morning, Sheriff Peter Paterson said it would come into effect immediately.
The three members of the self-proclaimed “kingdom” have said they are reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.
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The civil action was brought after the group ignored a previous eviction notice, which instructed them to leave their encampment by 5pm on Monday September 8.
Kofi Offeh, 36, from Ghana and Jean Gasho, 42, from Zimbabwe claim to be the king and queen of the lost tribe of Kubala and have been joined by American Kaura Taylor.
Calling themselves King Atehehe, Queen Nandi and handmaiden Asnat, they say they are reclaiming land which was lost when Queen Elizabeth I of England expelled black people from her realm.
Elizabeth I did issue proclamations in 1596 and 1601 calling for the deportation of Africans, but they did not apply in Scotland, which had a separate crown, and there is no historical record of either a Kubala tribe or of mass deportations in Scotland.
Offeh, who describes himself as King Atehene of the Kingdom of Kubala, spoke to journalists after the order was issued at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
He said: “The creator of the heavens and the Earth is the one with us. And we are not afraid of whatever the court – the so-called court – has granted.”
It was put to him that the court order will soon lead to them being removed from the land.
He said: “Let them do their worst.”
Responding to suggestions his “fantasy” is coming to an end, he said: “It is not a fantasy, it is a prophecy.
“We walk through prophecy and we live it as it comes.”
Asked if they planned to move elsewhere, he said: “If the creator of the heavens and the earth wants us to move from this land, he shall find us a place to go.”
Jean Gasho, who calls herself Queen Nandi, said the group are unafraid of jail, telling reporters: “We’ve already been to jail for loving our children, do you think chains frighten us?”
The group later sang and chanted in the woodland.
