Reports from the Philippi area, one of the high risk neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Cape Town in South Africa, confirm that a Somali national was shot and killed last night.
The victim, Mahmoud Abdi Osman, was a Somali businessman who had lived and worked in South Africa for years. According to sources, armed local criminals entered his shop in Philippi, an area known for frequent attacks targeting Somali traders, and shot him inside his business premises.
South African police officers arrived at the scene several hours later and said investigations are underway. No arrests have been reported in connection with the killing.
Killings targeting Somali shop owners in South Africa have sharply increased in recent days, yet the Somali government has not issued a statement about the repeated attacks that endanger the lives and property of its citizens working in the country.
Every year, many Somalis in South Africa are targeted with shootings, assaults and robberies. There has been little sign of strong security action from South African authorities to reduce the growing violence.
