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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
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who stated that due to the countries mountainous nature rebels could hide out in the countryside, evading capture by imperial troops, setting up ambushes, and subsisting off the local land for months. The idea of the shifta as a form of law enforcement in east Africa likely comes from northern
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respectively in the late 19th century. Thus the shiftas formed the military elite and became the core of the resistance, using their military skills against the
Italians. Conventionally however, a shifta whose acts trespassed social norms would be called
241:, was an honor for an Ethiopian and this was how resistance started and spread. In Eritrea, during the British administration, military units were used to police the lawless areas and stop common shifta activity.
489:
The Causes of Blood Feud in Amhara
Regional State, Ethiopia - Kumilachew Siferaw Anteneh, Gubaye Assaye Alamineh, Mohammed Seid Ali & Abebe Dires, August 2021, African Studies, Bahir Dar University
93:. 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
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85:α½αα³ (Ε‘Ιfta). Historically, the shifta served as a local militia in particularly remote, rural and often lawless parts of the
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culture as those wanted for murder can easily escape arrest due to the rugged and difficult-to-traverse topography of the
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and would be regarded as a thief or bandit. Nevertheless, to be described as a shifta, especially during the
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46:), over time, the term has taken on a more villainous meaning. It is a term mostly used in
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of
Ethiopia were called shifta when they served, respectively, as rebel leaders of the
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In
Ethiopia, individuals who started as shifta have risen to the level of regional or
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thus legitimizing the concept of shifta itself. Two nineteenth-century shiftas,
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One of the first mentions of shifta-like activity in the region comes from the
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character (similar to the historical romanticization of the legendary outlaw
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Hamilton, David; Shinn, Thomas P. Ofcansky, Chris Prouty (September 2004).
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114:(being a shifta) in its diverse forms has a social function as a form of
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177:'"blood return" or "response"'). A common occurrence in many
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Abbink, Jon; Mirjam de Bruijn, Klaas van
Walraven (September 2003).
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Rethinking
Resistance: Revolt and Violence in African History
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Rethinking
Resistance: revolt and violence in African history
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Jon Abbink; Mirjam de Bruijn, Klaas van
Walraven (2003).
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guerillas during the
Italian occupation of Ethiopia.
550:"THE ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT THE LAST TWELVE YEARS"
16:
East
African term for a rebel, outlaw, and/or bandit
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146:Ethiopian societies historical propensity for
503:. Brill Academic Publishers. pp. 95β96.
408:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
260:, along with members of the 21st century
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130:Ethiopian warriors in 1770, during the
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244:In recent times, both prime ministers
205:to take matters into their own hands.
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446:"Hunt for tourists moves to Eritrea"
189:cultures, it plays a larger role in
287:, (1963β1967) in northeastern Kenya
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382:Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia
24:originally was a word that had a
525:"Battling the Shifta in Eritrea"
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573:. Brill Academic Publishers.
293:, a similar status in Greece.
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350:"African Banditry Revisted"
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321:"Somali Refugees in Kenya"
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34:connotation rather than a
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70:word was loaned from the
468:Roeder, Larry W., Jr.
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308:References and notes
199:Ethiopian Highlands
116:conflict resolution
91:Ethiopian Highlands
476:2007-01-27 at the
450:Scotland on Sunday
428:2008-04-11 at the
325:Human Rights Watch
265:ethnic nationalist
239:Italian occupation
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471:The Sinai Bedouin
423:shifta Definition
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364:. Retrieved
357:the original
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333:. Retrieved
329:the original
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250:Meles Zenawi
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235:t'era-shifta
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222:Kassa Mercha
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187:Horn African
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214:Kassa Hailu
203:next of kin
201:, leading
77:during the
31:anti-heroic
594:Categories
555:2007-04-07
535:2007-04-07
455:2007-03-29
366:2008-10-18
335:2007-03-29
285:Shifta War
280:Brigandage
148:blood feud
139:Portuguese
112:shiftinnet
79:Shifta War
40:Robin Hood
36:villainous
404:cite book
297:Arbegnoch
161:romanized
105:The term
95:Arbegnoch
474:Archived
426:Archived
274:See also
167:Demelash
60:Tanzania
48:Ethiopia
605:Outlaws
434:Encarta
210:Emperor
175:
163::
152:Amharic
122:History
101:Concept
83:Amharic
68:Swahili
64:Somalia
52:Eritrea
610:Rebels
577:
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291:Klepht
262:Amhara
218:Gondar
191:Amhara
185:, and
107:shifta
75:shufta
72:Somali
66:. The
62:, and
26:heroic
21:Shifta
360:(PDF)
353:(PDF)
226:Tigre
56:Kenya
575:ISBN
505:ISBN
410:link
390:ISBN
268:Fano
258:TPLF
256:and
254:EPLF
220:and
195:Agew
193:and
173:lit.
156:α°ααα½
224:of
216:of
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