HIS attacks on shops belonging to Somalis

 more than 50 shops owned by Somalis in the city of Port Elizabeth in South Africa were attacked and looted by local residents.

Police said four shops had been burned and about 200 Somalis living near the premises of the store had fled the disorders.

A leader of the Somali community told the BBC that there was some resentment in the region on the success of the Somali traders.

At least 62 people have died in attacks on foreigners which ravaged the country three years ago.

Correspondents say that in areas poor, foreign workers are often blamed for making homes and jobs in the local community.

"Bound".

"About 200 Somalis fled their shops, where a large number of them live, when other residents began to attack," Captain Andre Beetge, the Eastern Cape of the South Africa police force, is quoted by the South African as Press Association saying.

Capt Beetge put the problem to the rivalry business and said the situation was contained through the early hours of Thursday morning and people were now returning to their properties.

In total, 52 stores were looted and three were burned in the area of Motherwell and three shops were looted and a burned in Kwadwesi, the police said.

Abdirahman Yusuf Ahmed, a spokesman for the Somali community in Eastern Cape, said a shopkeeper for Somalia was hospitalized after he was tied in his shop when he was burned.

Mr. Ahmed told BBC Somali Service which, in a local residents had tried to help when the attacks began.

But the crowds ignored attempts at intervention and settled in our shop one Somali belonging to the other.

He said that recent local elections could have disturbed xenophobic sentiments in the region.

"Some parts were campaign they would expel aliens if they succeeded in elections", he said.