At least four people have been killed and more than 500 arrested in Angola following widespread protests over a sharp hike in fuel prices, police confirmed on Tuesday.
The unrest began on Monday in the capital, Luanda, after a three-day strike was declared by taxi drivers in response to the government’s decision to raise diesel prices by 30% in July.
The hike has led to a spike in transportation costs and taxi fares, sparking public outrage.
Thousands of residents joined the striking drivers, turning the protest into one of the largest anti-government demonstrations Angola has seen in recent years.
Police responded with tear gas and smoke grenades as the protests turned violent. According to local newspaper Novo Jornal, public and private vehicles were damaged, over 40 shops were looted or vandalised, and clashes broke out between demonstrators and security forces.
Authorities said calm had returned to most areas of Luanda by Tuesday. However, they warned that arrests would continue in the days ahead.
“The issue of fuel prices is just the final straw,” said activist Laura Macedo, speaking to the BBC. “People are hungry, desperate, and fed up.”
The fuel subsidy cuts are part of President João Lourenço’s economic reform agenda, encouraged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), aimed at reducing public spending in the oil-rich nation. But the decision has drawn fierce criticism amid fears that increased transport costs will drive up food prices and worsen living conditions.
In a report earlier this year, the African Development Bank cautioned that rising energy and food costs in several African countries—including Angola—could lead to social unrest.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the Angolan authorities for what it described as a heavy-handed response to largely peaceful protests. “The police use of excessive force against peaceful protesters is part of broader security force problems in Angola,” said Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, HRW’s deputy Africa director.
Angola’s ruling MPLA party has governed the country since independence from Portugal in 1975 and has long been accused of suppressing dissent and stifling political opposition.
