Somalis in Cape Town attacked.

Yet another Somali citizen has been murdered in the latest in a series of attacks apparently targeting the refugee community in Cape Town.

South African Broadcasting Corporation reports that on 7 September two armed robbers entered a shop in Du Noon in Milnerton and fired shots, killing a 27-year-old man. Another Somali was wounded in the back.

It is not clear how many Somalis have been killed in total; police put the death toll at nine since the start of this year while sources within the community claim the figure is actually much higher. Shops have also been torched and property stolen in the attacks, which Somalis say are xenophobic. Police investigators instead claim the aggression is motivated by business jealousy.

The Cape Town area is home to a large community of refugees from conflict-ridden Somalia who have made a niche for themselves in the retail sector. However, in a country where unemployment stands at around 30 per cent, immigrants and refugees from all over the continent are eyed with suspicion particularly by the local black population, which perceives them as a threat. The problem is not confined to the Cape Town area: there have been reports of attacks on Somalis across the country since the start of this year.