Shifta

Shifta originally was a word that had a heroic or anti-heroic connotation rather than a villainous character (similar to the historical romanticization of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood in western society), over time, the term has taken on a more villainous meaning.^[1][2] It is a term mostly used in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia. The Swahili word was loaned from the Somali shufta during the Shifta War, and is in turn derived from Amharic ሽፍታ (šəfta).^[3][4] Historically, the shifta served as a local militia in particularly remote, rural and often lawless parts of the Horn of Africa, namely the Ethiopian Highlands. The word shifta can be translated as "bandit" or "outlaw", but can include anyone who rebels against an authority or an institution that is seen as illegitimate, like the Arbegnoch guerillas during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia.^[5]

Concept

The term shifta has positive and negative connotations, that of a common bandit and that of a revolutionary; both concepts being distinct, but not necessarily mutually exclusive. They are often considered as highly respected, politically minded outlaws struggling for social order or a political cause. When applied in this context, shiftinnet (being a shifta) in its diverse forms has a social function as a form of conflict resolution.

History

One of the first mentions of shifta-like activity in the region comes from the

• Brigandage
• Shifta War, (1963–1967) in northeastern Kenya
• Klepht, a similar status in Greece.
• Arbegnoch
• Fano (militia)

References and notes