Zambia court frees 54 separatists charged with treason

A Zambian court on Friday freed 54 separatists who had been facing charges of treason for trying to create a new western state called Barotseland.

Without giving any further reason for its decision, the prosecution told magistrate Aridah Chulu that it had decided not to proceed with the charges.

"I hereby discharge you but would like to warn you that you may be arrested for the same offense," Chulu told the group.

A total of 84 people, mostly from the Lozi tribe, were arrested in a recent crackdown on Barotseland campaigners.

The same court freed the other 30 separatists earlier this month, again after the state decided not to proceed with its prosecution.

The release of the final 54 was seen as a victory by Barotseland-supporting separatists.

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"This is a victory for us the people of Barotseland and not for Zambia. It was all political and we are going back to our country," said Muleta Kalaluka.

In January of last year, police broke up a separatist meeting by firing gunshots, igniting riots that left two people dead in the town of Mongu.

The incident rekindled secessionist sentiment, which hadn't been prominent since the 1990s.

Barotseland, originally a protectorate of Britain, became a province of Zambia when it entered into a deal at the end of the country's colonial rule in 1964.

Under the agreement, the people of the region were supposed to be able to self-rule in a limited fashion, but the Lozi said it was never respected.