Luanda: Police in Angola say four people have been killed and 500 have been arrested after demonstrations in the capital, Luanda. What began as a three-day strike by taxi drivers against rising petrol prices has escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive waves of protest the country has seen in recent years.
According to Nam News Network, thousands of people joined demonstrations in the capital on Monday that saw roads blocked, shops looted, and clashes between demonstrators and police. Not only has this resulted in higher fares for urban Angolans who rely on the taxis, but it has also driven up the price of staple foods and other basics, as suppliers who transport those goods by road are passing on their additional costs to consumers.
President João Lourenço has dismissed such concerns, saying that protesters are using petrol prices as a pretext to undermine the government. Even after the increase, the price of diesel in Angola remains around 40 US cents per litre, and there are not many countries in the world with prices this low, he told CNN Portugal in a recent interview.
The average monthly wage in Angola is just 70,000 kwanzas ($75; £56), and a promise by the presidency to increase this to 100,000 kwanzas has not materialised. As frustrations spilled over on Monday, groups of protesters took to the streets in various parts of Luanda, chanting against fuel price increases, nearly five decades of rule by the governing MPLA party, and expressing their frustration with the country's current state of affairs.
State-run media in Angola came under heavy criticism on social media for continuing with its regular programming and failing to cover the demonstrations. By Monday evening, the MPLA warned young people not to join the protests and said that these acts of vandalism are deliberately intended to tarnish and hinder the joyful celebration of Angola's 50th anniversary of independence.
Local authorities in Luanda on Monday also issued a public statement expressing deep concern over the events, which they described as disturbances and acts of vandalism associated with the forced halting of taxi services. According to the statement, the strike originally announced by taxi organisations had been called off following negotiations with authorities. However, it said, groups of unidentified individuals, without any legitimate representation of the taxi sector, resumed the call for strike actions, promoting intimidation and violence, including attacks on vehicles circulating on public roads, even those not providing taxi services. Much of these protests have been spontaneous in nature.
