22 killed in Angola as fuel hike protests turn violent

LUANDA — Angola's government said on Wednesday that the death toll from violent protests against a fuel price hike had risen to 22 from the previous day's estimate of four.

The unrest broke out on Monday when minibus taxi associations launched a three-day strike against the government's decision to increase the price of diesel by one-third, part of efforts to curb costly subsidies and shore up public finances.

Looting, vandalism and clashes with police started in capital Luanda, then spread to other provinces.

President Joao Lourenco's Cabinet met on Wednesday and received an update on the security situation and police response.

A presidential statement said there had been 22 deaths, 197 people injured and 1,214 arrests. Sixty-six shops and 25 vehicles had been vandalized, and some supermarkets and warehouses looted, it said.

"We regret 22 deaths, including one police officer," Interior Minister Manuel Homem told reporters on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting.

The overall public security situation in Angola has stabilized, Homem said. In Luanda, the situation has returned to normal, with public transportation services back to their regular operations.

"We will remain steadfast, committed to ensuring that public security in our country will not undergo changes that would make social life unfeasible for all of us," he said.

The strike brought traffic to a standstill in several parts of Luanda and led to road blockages. According to the Luanda provincial government, criminal elements took advantage of the strike to attack passing vehicles and loot shops.

The oil-rich southern African country has been gradually removing fuel subsidies since 2023, when a petrol price hike also triggered deadly protests, encouraged by the International Monetary Fund, among others.

Subsidies amounted to as much as 4 percent of GDP last year, according to the finance minister.

Agencies - Xinhua