At least 22 dead in Angola amid protests over fuel price hike
Reports indicate that over 200 people have been injured and more than 1,200 arrested during the demonstrations, which were marked by widespread vandalism, mass looting and destruction of property.
At least 22 people, among them a police officer, have been killed in Angola's capital, Luanda, following days of protests against a recent fuel hike introduced by President João Lourenço's administration.
Reports indicate that over 200 people have been injured and more than 1,200 arrested during the demonstrations, which were marked by widespread vandalism, mass looting and destruction of property.
The protests erupted on Monday after taxi unions called a three-day strike over a 33 per cent fuel price increment introduced in early July as part of government efforts to phase out subsidies, encouraged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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Angola is currently facing economic challenges owing to falling oil prices and $9 billion in external debt repayments due in 2025, including a Eurobond maturing in November.
While the protests initially began as a genuine taxi drivers' strike on Monday, they quickly escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive episodes of unrest in recent years, with authorities reportedly opening fire during clashes with protesters on Monday and Tuesday. The taxi unions have since distanced themselves from the ensuing violence.
In a statement issued on Facebook on Wednesday, Angola's presidency said 22 people had been killed and 197 injured during the unrest. It added that authorities had also arrested 1,214 people, while 66 shops and 25 vehicles were vandalised, and several supermarkets and warehouses were looted
The presidency likewise condemned the incident, describing it as having been infiltrated by criminal elements. President Lourenço has in the past downplayed concerns over the fuel price hike, maintaining that protesters were using the issue as a pretext to destabilise the government.
"The acts carried out by the protesters, worsened by the presence of infiltrators with criminal intentions, show that the phenomenon has gone beyond a mere demand and now represents a threat to public order," said Angola's presidency.
Angola's Interior Minister Manuel Homem, likewise, stated on Wednesday that the situation had been stabilised and that security forces remained on high alert to prevent further disturbances.
"In the past two days, we have witnessed actions that amount to acts of vandalism and endanger public security in the provinces of Luanda, Huambo, Benguela and Huíla. However, we want to inform citizens that the overall public security situation in the country remains stable," he said.
According to Al Jazeera, the streets of Luanda were tense and mostly deserted on Wednesday, with only a few queues forming outside petrol stations and some shops, as security forces maintained a heavy presence across the city.
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