Somalia: Somali Shopkeeper Shot Dead in South Africa’s Cape Town Township

Mogadishu — A Somali national was shot dead late Monday in Philippi, one of the high-crime townships on the outskirts of Cape Town, according to community sources.

The victim, identified as Qaasin Abdi Hassan, was a Somali shopkeeper who had been working in South Africa for several years. Witnesses said an armed group of South African nationals entered his small business premises and shot him at close range before fleeing the scene.

Police officers arrived shortly after the killing and conducted an initial investigation, but no arrests have been reported.

Somali traders in South Africa have long faced targeted robberies, assaults and killings, particularly toward the end of the year when armed gangs seek quick cash, community representatives say.

Rights groups have repeatedly warned that Somali shopkeepers are especially vulnerable in low-income townships where xenophobic attacks and criminal violence frequently overlap.

Dozens of Somali nationals are killed or injured every year in such incidents, prompting renewed calls from the Somali diaspora for stronger protection measures from South African authorities.

By Shabelle.