Shifta (Ge'ez: ሽፍታ, or "shufta") is term used in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia for rebel, outlaw, or bandit. The word is derived from shúfto. Historically, shifta served as local militia in the lawless rural mountainous regions on the Horn of Africa. 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.