Definition of Shanqella

The Shanqella (Ge'ez ሻንቅላ šānḳillā sometimes spelled Shangella; also referred to as Negroids) is an Ethiopian term (originally an Agaw term) used to refer to a number of ethnic groups residing primarily in the western most part of Ethiopia (from the border of Eritrea to Lake Turkana [1]) and who constitute about 1% of Ethiopia's population. The Shanqella originated from sudan not of ethiopian descent.The Shanqella consist of indigenous tribes, the most prominent of which include the Legas, Bertat, Gumuz, Kadalos, and Sienetjo. Although a tribal culture is predominant, these tribes are subdivided into families, which constitutes the main social unit. Even in issues of fighting, each family attacks and defends by itself. Only the family members share in the spoils of a victory. These peoples typically have stronger ethnic and social ties with groups inside Sudan than with those of Ethiopia.