Luanda: Thirty people died in Luanda and seven other Angolan provinces during riots, looting, and vandalism that occurred during the three-day taxi drivers' strike from July 28 to 30. These incidents took place on Monday and Tuesday across the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Icolo, Bengo, Malanje, Hula, Huambo, and Lunda-Norte.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the preliminary report released Thursday evening by the National Police indicates that investigations are underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Police spokesperson Mateus Rodrigues reported that the number of suspects arrested for these acts has risen to 1,515, and the number of injured individuals has increased to 277, including 110 National Police officers.
Rodrigues detailed the extent of the vandalism, noting that 118 commercial establishments and 24 public transport vehicles were damaged. Additionally, more than 20 civilian vehicles, five security force vehicles, one motorcycle, and one ambulance were vandalized.
The Police spokesperson reassured the public that the situation is now stable and calm, emphasizing that the trials of the suspects are ongoing. "We hope these trials result in convictions so these bad examples are not followed again," he stated. Rodrigues also pointed out that some reports of violence circulating on social media were actually old incidents from other countries.
