The Angolai government has claimed that during protests against a fuel price increase this week, at least 22 people were killed and 197 others were hurt in violence.
The minibus taxi associations launched a three-day strike on Monday to protest a government decision to increase diesel by one-third as part of an effort to rein in expensive subsidies and stabilize public finances.
Luanda, the capital, saw the beginning of looting, vandalism, and police clashes, which spread to six other provinces.
On Monday and Tuesday, loud gunfire was heard in Luanda and several other cities as people looted stores and clashed with police.
On Wednesday, the cabinet of president Joao Lourenco met to discuss the police response and security situation.
22 people died, 197 were hurt, and 1,214 were arrested, according to a presidency statement. According to the statement, 76 stores and 25 vehicles had been vandalized, and some warehouses and supermarkets had been looted.
The army was dispatched, according to the statement, to restore order after the riots “declared a climate of widespread insecurity.”
A police officer was one of the 22 people killed, according to Interior Minister Manuel Homem.
On Wednesday, there were some queues outside petrol stations and some shops, but the streets of Luanda were tense and largely empty. Security forces were frequently present.
After a two-day standstill, many shops continued to be closed, but slowly public transportation resumed.
Human Rights Watch accused the police of using excessive force in what was a largely peaceful demonstration when the most recent wave of protests first started two weeks ago. According to the US-based rights organization, police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and assaulted protesters during those demonstrations.
Since 2023, Angola has been gradually phasing out fuel subsidies, which was encouraged by the International Monetary Fund, among others.
Angola, an oil-rich nation on Africa’s Atlantic coast where the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola party has been in power for 50 years, has frequently been accused of using force against protests to silence dissent.
The opposition UNITA and Bloco Democratico parties said Angola was experiencing a “severe economic and social crisis” as a result of government policies that were “disconnected from the country’s reality” in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Source: Aljazeera
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