The death toll from Angola’s ongoing fuel price protests has risen to 22, authorities said on Wednesday, marking a sharp escalation from the four fatalities reported on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Angola Fuel Price Protests leave 4 dead, 500 arrested
The unrest, initially sparked by a minibus taxi strike in Luanda over a 30% diesel price hike, has now spread to other provinces, triggering widespread clashes, looting, and over 1,200 arrests.
What began on Monday as a three-day strike over rising transport costs quickly grew into one of the largest anti-government demonstrations Angola has seen in recent years. Police responded with tear gas and smoke grenades as public buses, private vehicles, and dozens of shops were vandalised.
President João Lourenço’s cabinet convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to address the worsening security situation.
A presidential statement confirmed, “22 deaths, 197 injuries, and 1,214 arrests, alongside damage to 66 shops, 25 vehicles, and the looting of supermarkets and warehouses.”
This latest wave of protests follows a pattern of unrest linked to subsidy reforms.
Last year, similar IMF-backed measures also sparked deadly demonstrations.
Angola’s government has been under pressure to reduce subsidies, which consumed 4% of the nation’s GDP in 2023.
While investors welcome the reforms as a sign of fiscal responsibility, the situation has exposed deep social tensions. Many Angolans rely on subsidized fuel to survive, and the cuts have left citizens struggling with higher costs for both transport and food.
As protests continue and public anger grows, the government faces increasing pressure to manage both its economic reforms and the people’s frustration.
Africanews / Kamila