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1/11/1957 - Eritrea’s Shifta by Smith Hempstone Jr.

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS SH January Eritrea Shifta U S Consulate Asmara Eritrea Walter S Rogers Ins itute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Nr Rogers Despite early festive crowd A young girls pointed something laughed Children munching their morning bread darted using trees hillside barriers their The young stood knots three their hands stuck their pockets their shuffling talking women The apart smoking together speaking syllables As bottom cleared hills sudden murmured ripple shiver expectancy swept crowd A nervous laugh broke silence moment A fringe shrugged shoulders turned began toward Asmara Two others broke followed Two mongrel fought discarded A welcome acacia thicket The knots young began dissolve It began might today after Suddenly second gathering Two started turned around rejoined their friends The natives through shifting Talk ceased The children stopped their the_ir through borders space The first shoulder through clear space crowd giant dressed Nuslim cloth The which features almost shoulders The hooded tattered western clothing The third junior having trouble It slipping around holes useless He tugging hurrying after other Then Came Eritrean police dressed khaki shorts shirts leggings nailed short boots Anzac pinned jauntily crown One Of length which three shifta The first shifta looped shoulders second third They length between second third short third shifta stumbled other heels Each wrists bound tightly together behind SH All three uslims Their scarecrow limbs thicker sticks shadows shewed where their cheeks Starved whispered companion The three hoods bobbing above heads crowd mounted steps gibbet Each place beside nooses swinging lazily morning The policemen stopped steps untied necks three shifta The first mounted steps slowly The second stumbled first One police kicked jerked bound wrists A stream blood spurted where He seemed afraid would shock place front hangmen The third noise throat place mouth One police tramped steps nails ringing silence pulled piece paper pocket The three shifta reading their names convicted eight count highway robbery The tried indicated hadtwo murders folded paper stuffed pocket Then shouted Long His imperial Najesty Our Emperor Halle S elassie Io Long Her Imperial Najesty Our EmPress Itege Nenen Long Great Ethiopia eternity He jumped gibbet waved hooded hangmen They stepped bound strips three shifta slipped nooses their heads The masked giant clpped prisoner On shoulder second hangman pulled lever The three dropped sight The walked stairs began cranking wheel One shifta reappeared above platform tongue incredibly snake throat He kicked feebly The masked giant repeated process other The other light break their necks The ropes creaked their hooks bodies revolved slowly morning The acacia hopped branch branch silent The three hangmen escorted police pushed their through crowd alked The other policeman leaned against gibbet smoking The bodies three I cigarette walked silence friend I answer Ethiopian Army Officer disclaimer recent party shifta means depending voice which doing talking bandit wanderer patriot still problem SH Actually I plenty documentary proof about shifta problem But desire flesh brought publi6 anging gr6uds delightfully January morning The hangings although public announced informal mouth Apparently Eritreans there object lesson European attendance possible Also hangings delayed until after commission other crime neighborhood MY first knowledge shifta problem state De partment friend Washington before Africa I warned distant southeastern BasSopiano district Dankali unless accompanied armed guards The U S Consul Asmara reinforced warning careful Asmara assawa Asmara Cheren roads The onsul opinion shifta problem composed ofabout equal parts political dissatisfaction hunger Other Opinions varied depending source political hunger The Eritrean Chief Police Prisons Colonel Tedla Ogbit limited answers questions about shifta broad impassive teethed smile Digging minutes Eritrean Legislative Assembly proved fruitful In address Assembly Nay Eritrean Chief Executive Dejazmatch Tedla Bairu later proved independent Halle Selassie kicked upstairs sideways Ambassador Finland position which holds today spoke follows Due praiseworthy services rendered police security situation improving A bandits escaped prison roaming division another But there great through activities police assistance villagers these outlaws brought justice The achievements police Sen June April fighting fellews bandits captured bandits surrendered bandits killed tetal rifles shotgans captured pistols captured grenades captured captmred ammunition captured rounds On April present Eritrean Chief Executive actually Ethiopian Asfaha Woldemicael while minimizing Legislative Assembly number shifta still large stated during months June July bandits active members security forces police The security situation necessary raise courage morale pollce SH In situation general amnesty declared But disappointing number shifta themselves After harsh system collective fihes villages death sentences individual shifta imposed During total shifta killed wounded captured The following armswere captured rifles machine pistols shotguns grenades rounds ammunition Although brigandage certainly unknown Erltrea during before Italian colonial period shifta movement apparently reached around nouncement federation Eritrea Ethiopia At estimated shifta roamed In formed opinion preent number about The characteristic shifta numbers three They armed knives swords The typical style Italian carbine shifta fought Italy against Ethiopia Secret caches afterthe World War II British Enfield Shifta attacks usually place after curve blocks utilized shifta often uniforms stolen police shifta directed Italians Ethiopiansand murders infrequent When dealing another Eritrean European other Italian violence usually limited robbery unless resistance encountered None sources could would outstanding shifta leader Nor apparently allegiance pelitical doctrine The shifta hunger marked hatred Italian Eth iopian alike If leader should arise badlands shifta tough fighting force which could things rather Ethiopia Eritrea Until leader presents himself shita hangings continue another amusement Asmara bored indifferent inhabitants Sincerely Smith Hemp