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At least four people were killed and hundreds arrested during a protest against a fuel price hike in Angola’s capital, police said.
The protests erupted on Monday in response to government’s decision earlier this month to raise the price of diesel by 30 percent, which led to large hikes in fares by minibus taxis, an important method of transport for many Angolans.
According to Aljazeera, Gunfire could be heard in central Luanda’s Cazenga area, where people were seen taking food and other items from shops.
Social media images showed clashes in the Rocha Pinto suburb near the airport, as well as in the Prenda area.
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Police said in a statement on Tuesday that hundreds of arrests were made in connection with rioting, vandalism and looting of shops.
Cars and buses were damaged and roads were blocked.
Transport in Luanda remained suspended and shops closed on Tuesday.
Minibus taxi associations, which in turn hiked their fares by up to 50 percent, launched a three-day strike to protest the move beginning on Monday.
“We are tired … they must announce something for things to change … for us to live in better conditions,” a protester told Angola’s TV Nzinga.
“Why do you make us suffer like this? How will we feed our children? The prices have to go down,” a woman said, addressing President Joao Lourenco.
Deputy Commissioner, Mateus Rodrigues, told reporters in a briefing about Monday’s violence that the police “currently report four deaths”. He did not specify how they occurred.
Police arrested 400 people overnight for suspected involvement in the unrest after arresting 100 on Monday, Rodrigues said. About 45 shops were vandalised, while 25 private vehicles and 20 public buses were damaged, he added. Banks were also targeted.
Protests have been taking place since the announcement of the diesel price hike on July 1.
Human Rights Watch said police had used excessive force in a July 12 protest, including firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
Angola has been gradually cutting fuel subsidies since 2023, when protests over a petrol price hike also turned deadly.
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