ABUJA, Sept 4 (Reuters) - The Nigerian division of South
African telecom operator MTN said on Wednesday it will shut all stores and
service centres in the country until further notice after its facilities in
three cities were attacked.
The facilities were attacked in retaliation after days of
riots in South Africa chiefly targeting foreign-owned, including Nigerian,
businesses.
"The safety and security of our customers, staff and
partners is our primary concern," MTN Nigeria said in a statement.
"MTN condemns any acts of violence, prejudice and
xenophobia."
The latest wave of unrest in South Africa has raised fears
of a recurrence of violence in 2015 aimed at foreigners and in which at least
seven people were killed. Before that, some 60 people were killed in a wave of
unrest around the country in 2008.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday he was
urgently sending a special envoy to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa to
secure the "safety of (Nigerian citizens') lives and property".
Police have yet to pinpoint what triggered the violence,
which began on Sunday when protesters armed with makeshift weapons roamed the
streets of Pretoria's business district, pelting shops with rocks and petrol bombs
and running off with goods.
Nigeria is MTN's biggest market, with 58 million users in
2018 and accounts for a third of the South African group's core profit.
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