Overview

• Angola removed fuel subsidies on July 1, raising petrol prices by one-third under IMF guidance to free up funds for health and education
• A taxi drivers’ strike launched in Luanda on July 28 spread nationwide and triggered looting, arson and fierce clashes with police and army units
• Official figures cite at least 22 fatalities, including one officer, nearly 200 injuries and more than 1,200 arrests during the unrest
• Security patrols have largely restored calm and public transport has resumed as Human Rights Watch and the UN urge swift independent inquiries and the release of those held
• Opposition parties UNITA and Bloco Democrático criticize the government’s approach amid chronic inflation near 20% and unemployment around 30%