A fragile calm has returned to Angola’s capital following two days of violent unrest that left 22 people dead and more than a thousand behind bars, as frustrations over surging fuel prices boiled over into one of the country’s most volatile episodes in recent memory.
On Monday, a strike by taxi drivers morphed into widespread protests and looting, with chaotic scenes unfolding in Luanda and several other cities.
Gunfire echoed through the streets, businesses were ransacked, and protesters clashed with heavily armed police in a nation already battling economic strain and political discontent.
Interior Minister Manuel Homem confirmed the death toll on Wednesday, which included one police officer.
Nearly 200 others were wounded during the unrest, and 1,200 people were arrested in connection with the chaos. Sixty-six shops were looted or damaged.
“We regret the loss of life,” Homem said, addressing journalists after a Council of Ministers session chaired by President João Lourenço. “This violence has deeply affected our national stability.”
The unrest was triggered by a July 1 government decision to hike fuel prices from 300 to 400 kwanzas per litre — a move aimed at slashing costly fuel subsidies and appeasing recommendations from the International Monetary Fund.
But in a country where roughly a third of the population is unemployed and inflation hovers near 20%, the hike hit hard.
Over the past month, tensions have simmered. Three consecutive weekends saw demonstrations, with Saturday’s rally in Luanda drawing 2,000 people.
Many waved placards accusing the ruling MPLA party of corruption and condemning President Lourenço’s leadership.
By early Wednesday, Luanda’s streets were eerily quiet. Security forces maintained a heavy presence, and while some petrol stations reopened with long queues forming, many businesses remained shuttered.
Public transport, which had ground to a halt, showed signs of cautious recovery.
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In the southern city of Lubango, protests turned deadly when police reportedly shot and killed a 16-year-old boy who, authorities claimed, was among a group trying to storm MPLA offices.
In a joint statement, opposition parties UNITA and Bloco Democrático warned that Angola was facing “a severe economic and social crisis,” citing a disconnect between government policies and everyday realities. They also criticized the violent police response.
Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, echoed these concerns. Amnesty has long accused Angolan authorities of using excessive force — citing previous incidents such as the 2021 massacre in Cafunfo where at least 10 anti-poverty protesters were shot dead by security forces.
Wednesday’s government statement blamed the violence on “elements with criminal intentions” who had hijacked the protest, turning a demonstration into “a threat to security.”
The IMF has pushed Angola to redirect resources toward healthcare and education by scaling back subsidies.
But the timing of the reforms — amid soaring prices and high unemployment — has intensified public frustration in a country still recovering from decades of civil war and economic mismanagement.
The World Bank projects that poverty will remain around 36% through 2026, unless major structural changes are made.
For many Angolans, the recent unrest is a stark reflection of deepening inequality and dwindling trust in state institutions.
As the smoke clears, the government faces a pivotal moment: whether to double down on unpopular reforms or find a path that tempers economic pressures without further alienating an already restless population.