OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE BETRAYAL OF BAROTSELAND 

You can download the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 here: BAROSTELAND AGREEMENT OF THE 1964

Today, as we commemorate sixty-one years since the treacherous betrayal of Barotseland by Britain and Zambia on 18th May 1964, we address our people and the international community with solemn reflection, unwavering conviction, and a deepened sense of national purpose. This day remains etched in the heart of our nation—not as a symbol of defeat, but as the genesis of a righteous struggle for truth, justice, and the full restoration of our God-ordained sovereignty.

We remind all Barotse nationals, and the global community at large, that Barotseland stands unshakably on the historic Resolutions of the Barotse National Council (BNC) of 2012, which lawfully reaffirmed our right to statehood following the unilateral and illegal abrogation of the Barotseland Agreement 1964 by the Republic of Zambia. That Agreement was not a charter of submission, but a treaty of partnership—meant to facilitate shared sovereignty, not for Zambia to exercise dominion over Barotseland. Its violation dissolved any legitimate union, restoring Barotseland’s original and separate status.

We therefore declare—without hesitation or apology—that our sovereignty is not a subject of negotiation. It is a reality born of history, law, and divine decree. Barotseland was divinely established by God Almighty long before the concept of Zambia came into being. No force, whether colonial, political, or diabolical, can annul what Heaven has ordained. We do not challenge Zambia’s right to self-governance, and we expect, without compromise, the same recognition for ourselves.

To President Hakainde Hichilema and his co-conspirators against the will of the Barotse people, we say this without fear or favour: You are chasing the wind. No amount of imposed governance, manufactured propaganda, or state-sponsored deceit can erase the identity of Barotseland or silence her people. Barotseland is not a product of Zambia’s imaginative politics; it is a real nation—defined by her own territory, her own people, her own institutions, and an indomitable spirit rooted in antiquity, law, and providence.

For decades, our people have endured the pain of betrayal, the theft of their wealth, the erosion of their identity, and the violence of systemic injustice. Zambia’s successive regimes have looted our resources, persecuted our leaders, destabilised our culture, and desecrated our sovereignty. These are not allegations—they are historical facts and documented crimes committed against a peace-loving people.

Yet in the face of these trials, Barotseland is rising—not through violence or vengeance, but through peaceful, legal, and internationally accepted mechanisms. We are charting our own course, not in defiance, but in fulfilment of our historic and moral right to self-determination.

We are proud to acknowledge and thank His Excellency the Rt Hon Kemmy Mombotwa Afumba, the Pioneer of State and Sovereignty, whose wisdom, courage, and unwavering patriotism laid the very foundation upon which the present and future Barotseland State now stands. Alongside him, we honour all those who stood firm, sacrificed greatly, and laboured unceasingly beside him in the darkest hours of our national journey. Without their collective faith and fortitude, there would be no government, no nation, and no state to speak of today.

In recognition of these monumental sacrifices, the Barotseland Revolutionary Transitional Sovereignty Council passed the Barotseland Father of Government Act No. 285 of 2024, which acknowledged His Excellency’s pivotal role in the foundation of the State. This has since been amended by the Barotseland Transitional Legislative Council through the Barotseland Pioneer of State and Sovereignty Act No. 11 of 2025, further enshrining his legacy and affording him an honorary status equivalent to a sitting Head of Government.

These legislative acts reflect not only the gratitude of a nation but the unbreakable continuity of the Barotseland State. The nation shall forever remain grateful for his vision, his sacrifices, and his steady, uncompromising leadership in a time when many faltered or fled. His life’s work remains a cornerstone of the resurgent Barotseland State.

The State of Barotseland is not a distant hope—it is a living reality. Our legal institutions are being restored, our governance framework strengthened, and our national narrative reclaimed. It is a process grounded in law, driven by our people, and sanctified by truth.

Alongside His Excellency is a growing cohort of devoted and incorruptible patriots—both within our borders and abroad—who are rewriting the story of Barotseland with fidelity to its sacred past and vision for its glorious future. Together, we affirm the sovereignty of Barotseland, not as a cry for attention, but as a declaration of fact.

Our message to the world is clear and firm: Barotseland is rising. The time of treachery has passed. The season of silence has ended. The hour of truth has come. We extend the hand of peace, but never in exchange for our destiny.

Long live Barotseland. Long live her people. Long live her God-ordained sovereignty.