At least four people were killed and more than 500 arrested in Angola after violent protests erupted in Luanda on Monday over a sharp increase in diesel prices, police said. Unrest and sporadic clashes continued in parts of the capital on Tuesday.
The demonstrations escalated into looting, vandalism and confrontations with security forces following the government’s decision earlier this month to raise diesel prices by one-third in an effort to ease the strain of fuel subsidies on public finances.
Public anger intensified after minibus taxi operators, a key mode of transportation in the city, responded by hiking fares by up to 50% and launching a three-day strike on Monday.
National police spokesperson Mateus Rodrigues told reporters that shops, banks, buses and private vehicles were damaged during the unrest and confirmed that “pockets of disorder” remain in several neighborhoods of Luanda.
Angola, one of Africa’s largest oil producers, has been gradually reducing fuel subsidies since 2023. A similar increase in petrol prices two years ago triggered deadly protests across the country.