Violence erupts in Luanda as govt phases out fuel subsidies; taxi fares up 50%
Videos posted on social media showed scenes of shops being looted, garbage bins being used to set up street blockades and tires being burnt on the outskirts of Luanda on Monday. Protesters also forced public buses to unload passengers and attacked non-striking drivers.
Luanda's provincial government condemned 'all acts of vandalism, assaults on workers, destruction of public and private property, and any form of coercion against citizens seeking to carry out their activities freely,' according to a statement.
The higher prices have been triggered by the Angolan government phasing out fuel subsidies in a bid to cut spending. The allocations cost Angola about $3 billion last year — about the same as its total health and education spending, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Taxi fares have increased by as much as 50% this month to accommodate the increased fuel costs. On Saturday, hundreds of people took to the streets in Luanda to protest against the country's rising cost of living. Annual inflation currently stands at about 20%.
Videos on social media earlier showed long lines of commuters after informal operators halted services. Their blue-and-white vans are essential to getting around the city, which lacks functioning public transportation.
The National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola said on Facebook the decision to strike was prompted by the daily hardships faced by thousands of its drivers.
A decision to cut petrol subsidies in 2023 triggered violent protests in the central Angolan city of Huambo, where clashes between taxi drivers and the police left five people dead.
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