The Amiche in Ethiopia – Multiple Displacement and Liminality

The Amiche are Eritreans who were born or brought up in Ethiopia before Eritrean independence. This article focuses on the Amiche group's political and social situation. It explores the way its members perceive themselves and are perceived by others over recent years. From a social anthropological perspective, the article examines the extent to which a stable social identity has developed out of fluid and continuous inclusion and exclusion by, and within, neighbouring groups. We argue that the Amiche represent a distinct case of stable liminality – a permanent in-between status that has evolved into a social identity that is unique in its own right, rather than a temporary transitional state. Unlike classical liminality theories that emphasise transition, we demonstrate how protracted displacement and exclusion have produced a relatively stable social group characterised by their very in-betweenness.