Johannesburg (Sunatimes) South African officials pose for a joint photo with Somali official outside the meeting hall in Cape Town, South Africa/RBKA forum for the integration of Somalis in South African and local communities has been held in Cape Town, South Africa.

The forum attended by officials from the South African government, local civil societies and Somali community representatives was aimed at deliberating on ways in which the Somali people in the country can interact with local South African communities for better understanding of each other.

The forum was also aimed at mending business rivalry between the two communities as well as persuading the Somali people to adhere to rules governing the country.

Mahad Omar Abdi, an official with the Somali community told Bar-kulan that participants mainly focused on reducing business related tensions between the locals and the Somalis conducting business in the country.

He said South African officials attending the forum appealed to the Somali community members to abide the law governing the country and desist from engaging in batty criminal activities.

This was the first meeting of its type as locals were up in arms with Somali refugees conducting business in the country, accusing them of frustrating markets by selling cheap goods.

By Abdullahi Mohamed