Askari
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Askari is an Arabic, Persian and Swahili word meaning "soldier" (Arabic: عسكري ‘askarī). It was normally used to describe indigenous troops in East Africa and the Middle East serving in the armies of European colonial powers. The designation can however also describe police, gendarmerie and security guards.
During the period of European rule in East Africa locally recruited askari soldiers were employed by the Italian, British, Portuguese, German and Belgian colonial forces. They played a crucial role in the initial conquest of the various colonial possessions and subsequently served as garrison and internal security forces. During both World Wars askari units served outsides the boundaries of their colonies of origin.
A good example of the use of askaris was during the World War I campaign in German East Africa where around 11000 East African troops under the command of the German Oberstleutnant Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck remained unbeaten after four years of war. During this time they saw continual active service against numerically superior British, Portuguese and Belgian colonial forces.
They saw service in Italy's various colonial campaigns in Somalia and Libya and played an important role in the two wars against Ethiopia (1898 and 1935-36). Out of a total of 256,000 Italian troops serving in Italian East Africa in 1940, about 182,000 were recruited from Eritrea, Somalia and the recently occupied Ethiopia. In January 1941 British Commonwealth forces invaded Ethiopia and the majority of the recently recruited Ethiopian askaris serving with the Italian Army in East Africa deserted. Most of the Eritrean askaris remained loyal until the Italian surrender four months later.
In apartheid South Africa, Askari was the term given to guerrillas who were captured by the South African army and 'turned' or converted into spies or soldiers for the apartheid regime.
Image:Askari, South Africa 1943.jpg
The term "askari" was also used by SS soldiers in WWII to refer to Russian deserters who joined the ranks of the SS by volunteering. The reference for this usage is the book "The Sunflower" by Simon Wiesenthal.
"Askari" also means spear bearer. Although they no longer carry spears into battle they still fulfill the role of guardsmen.
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