Deep in the Scottish Borders forests near Jedburgh, an unusual scene is puzzling locals and authorities alike: a small group claiming allegiance to the Kingdom of Kubala , a self-proclaimed African kingdom, has established a makeshift camp for several months and is officially claiming land "stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago ." At their head, a couple presenting themselves as the king and queen of this forgotten kingdom are reenacting a scene of spiritual and identity-based sovereignty in the woods. A king and queen in the Scottish woods: the birth of the Kingdom of Kubala.
The group is led by Queen Nandi , also known as Jean Gasho, and King Atehene , whose real name is Kofi Offeh. Together, they claim to live according to the principles of a spiritual and ancestral African monarchy, which they say they have revived on European soil. The encampment is organized around a central fire, where the group members sing, pray, and live a simple life, dressed in leaves and handmade fabrics. For them, this is not simply a makeshift settlement, but a symbolic reclaiming of land they consider part of their spiritual heritage.
An occupation deemed illegal by local authorities
Scottish authorities were quick to react to this encampment, which they deemed illegal . By the end of July, the local council and police demanded the dismantling of the first camp. Shortly afterward, it was destroyed by arson , which the group denounced as a hate crime. Forced to flee, the members of Kubala found refuge in another remote wood, with occasional support from some sympathetic locals, but refused any offers of institutional rehousing. They maintain that they want to live freely, outside the modern system, according to a "natural law" inspired by biblical and spiritual principles.
A staging or an act of faith?
The establishment of the Kingdom of Kubala is divisive. For some, it represents a sincere act of faith : a return to a harmonious, tribal existence inspired by African and spiritual traditions. For others, the move seems calculated, theatrical, and motivated by a desire to attract media or financial attention. The camp's aesthetics, the rituals, and the discourse on social media all contribute to the idea of a more complex project , oscillating between political assertion and spiritual performance.
The Kingdom of Kubala and its legal and symbolic issues
The initiative raises numerous questions. Can land be claimed in the name of a history supposedly lost for centuries? How can spiritual freedom be reconciled with respect for land laws? The Kingdom of Kubala, which presents itself as sovereign and independent , rejects the authority of modern Scottish law, claiming to act in the name of a superior, unwritten law inherited from a forgotten collective memory. Faced with this, local authorities remain cautious, oscillating between legal firmness and diplomatic restraint.
A story on the border between reality and symbolism
The Kingdom of Kubala affair is striking in its singularity. Beyond its folkloric or unusual aspects, it raises fundamental questions about sovereignty, heritage, memory, and identity . In a country marked by its own historical traumas, such as the Highland Clearances, which saw entire populations dispossessed of their land, this claim from elsewhere resonates with still-raw pain. The Scottish forest, the silent backdrop to this royal spectacle, thus becomes the stage for a broader confrontation between past, power, and faith.
