'African tribe' who camped in Scottish woodland evicted by police

Officers were photographed leading the “tribe” from their camp

Getty Images A drone shot of about seven police officers escorting three people in robes along a grassy path. There are two vans waiting for them. — Officers were photographed leading the “tribe” from their camp

Members of a self-styled African tribe have been evicted from their camp on council-owned land in the Scottish Borders.

The three people, who call themselves the Kingdom of Kubala, have been staying in a wooded area near Jedburgh.

The tribe streamed the eviction live on TikTok on Thursday morning. It showed a man and a woman being led from the camp by uniformed officers into nearby vans.

The group had previously said they were reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago and refused to recognise the powers of the courts to evict them.

There was a large police and media presence for the eviction

Getty Images A drone shot of two police vans and several other unmarked vans on a road. Cameras and journalists are filming them. — There was a large police and media presence for the eviction

Police and immigration enforcement officials moved into the camp at about 08:00.

A police cordon was in place to keep the media and local people from entering the camp.

It was lifted at about 10:00 when council officials could be seen dismantling the camp and throwing bin bags into the back of a refuse lorry.

The group have been camped in the Scottish Borders since the spring.

Getty Images Three people sitting on camp chairs in woodland. A large man in red and cream robes sits at the back. Two women are tending to a fire. There is a red tent in the background. — The group have been camped in the Scottish Borders since the spring.

Ghanaian Kofi Offeh, 36, and Jean Gasho, 43, who is originally from Zimbabwe, first arrived in the area in the spring.

Describing themselves as King Atehehe and Queen Nandi, they set up camp on a hillside above the town in the Scottish Borders.

They were joined by “handmaiden” Kaura Taylor, from Texas, who calls herself Asnat.

The group have a large online presence, with more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and Facebook, and have received worldwide media attention.

Map showing location of Jedburgh in relation to Edinburgh. It is south of the Scottish capital.

On Wednesday, they were banned from moving back to private land they had already been evicted from, at a hearing at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Last week, the court granted an order banning them from any council land in the area, including where they had been staying.

Council workers have been clearing away the woodland camp

Workers in hi-vis clearing away the camp in woodland. — Council workers have been clearing away the woodland camp

Jedburgh and district councillor Scott Hamilton said he was “very much relieved” by the eviction.

“It has been a long effort by the local council, police and other services to achieve this outcome,” he said.

“It is the absolute right outcome today. The locals have had to put up with a great deal with this.”

He added: “This is an industrial estate. There are businesses operating from here – they have been put under a huge amount of pressure over the last few months.

“We have had to work through the courts and the law process and that does take its time but ultimately we have achieved the right outcome.”

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