Latest news with #JoãoLourenço
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin dey cause di deadly protests for Angola?
Police for Angola say four pipo don die and dem don arrest 500 pipo afta protests for di capital, Luanda. Wetin begin as three-day strike by taxi drivers against rising petrol prices don escalate into one ogbonge wave of protest di country don ever see in recent years. Thousands of pipo follow for di demonstrations for di capital on Monday, 28 July, dem block roads, loot shops, destroy cars, demonstrators and police also clash. Di protests continue for Luanda on Tuesday, 29 July, dem loot more shops and clashes between police and demonstrators continue. Why Angolans dey protest? "Di fuel price issue na di last straw wey spark di widespread public discontent... Pipo don tire. Hunger dey everywia, and di poor dey become more miserable," one popular local activist, Laura Macedo, tell BBC. Na taxi operators call for di strike in response to govment decision to increase di price of diesel by ova 33%, one measure dem introduce for early July as part of plans to remove fuel subsidies for di oil-rich nation. Dis no only lead to higher cost of transportation for urban Angolans wey rely on di taxis, but e also don increase di price of food and oda basics - as suppliers wey dey transport those goods by road dey pass on di additional costs to consumers. But President João Lourenço don ignore dis concerns, e say di protesters dey use petrol prices as disguise to undermine di govment. "Even afta di increase, di price of diesel for Angola na still around 40 US cents [per litre], and countries wey still get dis kain low prices no many for di world," e tell CNN Portugal for one recent interview. Di average monthly wage for Angola na just 70,000 kwanzas ($75; £56), and di presidency promise to increase am to 100,000 kwanzas neva come into effect. As pipo pour out dia frustration on Monday, groups of protesters bin enta streets for various parts of Luanda, dey kick against di fuel price increases, dey vent against di nearly five decades of rule by di governing MPLA party and dey express dia frustration wit di country current state of affairs. State-run media for Angola bin come under heavy criticism on social media say dem continue wit dia regular programming and dem fail to cover di demonstrations. By Monday evening, di MPLA warn young pipo say make dem no join di protests and add say dis "acts of vandalism dey deliberate and di intention na to tarnish and hinder di joyful celebration" of Angola 50th anniversary of independence. Local authorities for Luanda on Monday also issue public statement wia dem express "deep concern" on top di events, wey dem describe as "disturbances and acts of vandalism wey dem link wit di forced halting of taxi services". According to di statement, di strike wey taxi organisations originally announce, don dey called off afta negotiations wit authorities. However, dem tok say, "groups of unidentified individuals, wey no get any legitimate representation wit di taxi sector, bin resume di call for strike actions, and dem promote intimidation and violence, including attacks on vehicles wey dey move on public roads, even those wey no dey provide taxi services". Much of dis protests bin dey spontaneous in nature. One major taxi association, Anata, don distance diasef from Monday violence but dem vow to continue di three-day strike, dem say "di voice of di taxi drivers show di outcry of di Angolan pipo". As of Tuesday afternoon, major shops, banks plus oda businesses no open. Some civil servants don return to work, but many pipo wey work for private companies stay for house on di advice of dia employers. Police warn say dem dey patrol di streets and go continue to "intervene any wia dem see disturbances" to "re-establish public order and peace".
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Angola boosts oil output by 60,000 bpd
Angola's attempts to stabilise its waning crude oil production received a boost when two offshore projects started up, adding a total of 60,000 barrels per day to national output, the country's national oil and gas agency, ANPG, said. Sub-Saharan Africa's second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, Angola has overhauled its oil and gas regulations to attract energy companies and help stabilise oil production, which has halved due to maturing fields since reaching a peak of around 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2008. Last year, President João Lourenço approved a law that offers new incentives to incrementally expand production in offshore blocks, after Angola decided to leave OPEC following a spat over crude output allocations. Both the offshore CLOV Phase 3 development and the Begonia project will separately produce 30,000 bpd. Located in Block 17, the CLOV 3 satellite project will be linked to an existing floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel and will help Angola maintain its overall production above 1 million bpd, government and company officials said. "This is good news for the country. First oil is always very important," Paulino Jerónimo, chairman of the board of directors of the National Agency for Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANPG), said in a statement. Block 17 is operated by TotalEnergies with a 38% stake, together with Equinor (22.16% stake), ExxonMobil (19%), Azule Energy (15.84%) and Sonangol E&P (5%). Situated some 150 kilometres off Angola's coastline, Begonia is the country's first inter-block subsea development that links Blocks 17 and 17/06 and uses the Pazflor FPSO. "We will produce oil from one block using existing facilities from another," Martin Deffontaines, general manager of TotalEnergies Angola, said in a statement.
Bloomberg
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Angolan President Hints at Successor Who Can Do ‘Better Than Me'
Angolan President João Lourenço said he's looking for someone to succeed him at the helm of Africa's third-biggest oil producer, before general elections scheduled to take place in 2027. 'I think about it every day,' Lourenço said in a television interview late on Tuesday with CNN Portugal. 'I think in silence. It's my duty to think because we can't leave the country in the hands of just anyone.'
Zawya
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Welcomes the Signing of Declaration of the Principles Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Alliance Fleuve Congo / March 23 Movement (AFC/M23)
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, warmly welcomes the signing of the Peace Agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Alliance Fleuve Congo / March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) today in Doha, Qatar. This significant development marks a major milestone in the ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region. He applauds the constructive role played by the United States Administration and the State of Qatar, and acknowledges the invaluable contributions of all stakeholders, including the regional facilitators from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He extends special thanks to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, for his continued dedication and positive engagement in advancing peace and stability across Africa. The Chairperson further commends the tireless efforts of the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, and the AU-appointed Mediator, H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic. He also salutes the spirit of dialogue, compromise, and political will demonstrated by the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda. This breakthrough offers renewed hope for regional cooperation and sustainable peace. The African Union remains fully committed to working with all stakeholders to support the successful implementation of the Peace Agreement and to contribute to sustainable peace, security, and development in the DRC and the region. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
Prince Harry Recreates Princess Diana's Landmine Walk in Angola
Prince Harry is visiting Angola with the Halo Trust, an organization that his mother, Princess Diana, supported during her lifetime. It's his second trip to the country; he first traveled to Angola in 2019 during his and Meghan Markle's tour of southern Africa. 'Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day. The Angolan government's continued commitment is a powerful testament to HALO's success in saving lives,' Prince Harry said today. He visited Africa's largest minefield with Halo Trust, located in Angola. 'The Halo Trust work in Angola meant a great deal to my mother,' the Duke of Sussex said in September in New York City. 'Carrying on her legacy is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously.' Like his mother, he walked through a minefield in Angola today. However, it was not the same one—the field where Diana walked in 1997 is now a paved road, where people are able to walk safely. Harry shared this past fall, 'Much has changed in my life and the world since 2019 when I first visited Huambo. In those five years, I've become a father for the second time. And while you don't need children to have a stake in the future of our planet, I do know that my mother would have been horrified that anyone's children or grandchildren would live in a world still infested with mines.' Yesterday, the Duke met with Angola's President João Lourenço to discuss the Halo Trust's work. 'It was an honour to have an audience with His Excellency President Lourenço today alongside Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to discuss HALO's continued demining efforts in Angola,' James Cowan, CEO of the Halo Trust said yesterday. 'We thanked him for his extraordinary dedication to and investment in the vision of a mine-free country, and he expressed his intention to continue to support our work with a further significant contract for the next three years. Our partnership is strengthened and renewed, and we are grateful to President Laurenço for his leadership on this critical issue.' You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
