Angola: Luanda's Repressive Response Threatens Regional Stability and Provokes Migration Risks

The South African

a day ago

What began in Angola at the end of July as a desperate protest by taxi drivers against the sharp rise in fuel prices and transport fares soon escalated into a crisis with far-reaching consequences for the entire Southern African region.
Initially, the demands were economic—a reaction to the unbearable burden of soaring fuel prices and, consequently, increased transportation costs for the population, which exposed deep discontent. People are weary of relentless inflation, high unemployment (especially among the youth), and social inequality, which becomes particularly glaring against the backdrop of the country's oil wealth and major investment projects.
The drivers' strike acted as a catalyst for broader unrest, which, according to official police reports, led to tragic consequences: 30 dead, 277 injured, and more than 1,500 detained. Instead of addressing the socio-economic causes of this dissatisfaction, the authorities in Luanda chose the path of forceful suppression and targeted political repression.
Leaders of taxi associations, the national secretary for mobilisation of UNITA's youth wing (JURA), Oliveira Francisco, and journalists, including the correspondent for the state television channel TPA, Carlos Tome, were arrested.
Particular international concern was caused by the detention of two Russian citizens, Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov. The Russian embassy received no official notification of their arrests. It was denied contact with them, constituting a gross violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and basic norms of justice, essentially amounting to 'enforced disappearance.'
Representatives of the Russian embassy expressed their discontent over Angola's failure to adhere to established diplomatic protocols and its refusal to provide any information about the detainees.
The Angolan Bar Association directly accuses the judiciary of returning guilty verdicts without providing evidence. At the same time, the opposition (UNITA) sharply criticises President Lourenço for remaining silent in response to reports of extrajudicial killings during the protests.
As reported by Angola 24 Horas, 'the hunger people are experiencing is reason enough to take to the streets in utter desperation,' and the strategy of arresting innocent citizens amid deepening hunger and unemployment could prove costly for everyone.
President João Lourenço, who came to power in 2017 promising to fight corruption and institute reforms, is increasingly displaying the hallmarks of a classic authoritarian regime. The U.S. State Department's 2024 human rights report highlights the lack of significant progress in Angola, noting systematic abuses, including suppression of peaceful demonstrations, police brutality, and judicial misconduct.
Internal instability in Angola carries immediate and serious risks for the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC). Neighbouring countries—Namibia, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—may face an influx of Angolan citizens fleeing hardship and persecution. Repression, judicial arbitrariness, and disregard for international norms, clearly demonstrated in the case of the detained Russian nationals, sharply elevate political risks for foreign businesses.