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4w ago

Angolan Crackdown on Fuel Protests Leaves 30 Dead as UN Demands Inquiry

João Lourenço's administration defends cutting subsidies as an IMF-backed reform to free resources for social spending.

Police look on as people gather during demonstration to protest against the increase in the cost of living, corruption across the country, and to demand the holding of local elections, in Luanda on March 20, 2021. (Photo by Osvaldo Silva / AFP) (Photo by OSVALDO SILVA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Relatives and friends of Silvia Mubiala mourn after she was allegedly shot by security forces during the unrest in the Angolan capital Luanda
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Overview

  • Official tallies report 30 fatalities, including a police officer, alongside more than 270 injuries and over 1,500 arrests since protests began July 1.
  • UN rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan cited footage suggesting security forces used live ammunition and tear gas against protesters.
  • Human Rights Watch and local activist groups accused police of deploying excessive force, including rubber bullets and physical assaults.
  • The government says raising petrol prices from 300 to 400 Kwanza per liter followed International Monetary Fund advice to strengthen public budgets.
  • Opposition parties UNITA and Bloco Democrático, along with taxi unions, warn that the reforms overlook soaring inflation and unemployment, deepening political discontent.