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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Angola: Mass protests over rising prices
President Joao Lourenco (Image: AP) Anti-government protests in the Angolan capital Luanda on July 12 were met with a harsh crackdown, resulting in injuries and arrests. "We recorded several injuries, some serious and requiring medical attention," Adilson Manuel, an activist and one of the organizers, told DW. "In addition to the injured, there were also arrests. One protester remains in police custody without a clear reason. He is currently held at the Nova Vida police station and will be handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office for questioning." The protests began peacefully in Sao Paulo Square, a neighbourhood in Luanda. Hundreds of citizens — activists, civil society members, taxi drivers, vendors, students and opposition party members — joined a march organized by a social movement against a government decree that raised fuel prices. Chants filled the air, including the national anthem and improvised songs such as "First Angolan, second Angolan, always Angolan." Protesters criticized the ruling MPLA party, carrying signs with slogans like "MPLA drank all the oil," "We're tired of eating from the trash," and "The country is good, but the MPLA is no good." The MPLA, or People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola party, has governed Angola continuously since its independence 50 years ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giá vàng đang tăng mạnh trong năm 2025 — Các nhà giao dịch thông minh đã tham gia IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Rising prices push Angolans to the limit Taxi fares increased to 300 kwanzas per trip ($0.33, €0.28), and urban bus fares rose to 200 kwanzas on July 7. This followed a fuel price increase from 300 to 400 kwanzas per liter three days earlier in the country that is one of Africa's largest oil producers. In recent years, Angola has cut fuel subsidies, also under pressure from the International Monetary Fund , over the burden it was putting on the state budgets. Though Angola has some of the cheapest gasoline prices in the world even after the removal of the subsidies, street vendors and taxi drivers have borne the brunt of the price hikes, sparking frequent protests. However, rising fuel prices are not the only critical issue for many Angolans. Just weeks ago, students mobilized to protest government policies. Schools lack basic necessities such as chairs, desks and toilets. A new youth movement called the "Movimento dos Estudantes Angolanos" (MEA) organized protests and strikes, accusing President Joao Lourenco's government of ignoring youth concerns. Instead of addressing their needs, the government recently raised university tuition fees. The young protesters warned: "Either the government changes the situation, or it will be overthrown." Broader discontent with ruling party Also, during the latest protests over fuel prices, many voiced frustrations against Lourenco and the ruling MPLA party. Protesters marching to Largo da Maianga, near the National Assembly, were blocked by police at Primeiro de Maio and Largo da Independencia squares. "Please help us. We are hungry, the whole country is hungry, but our president is not paying attention to this situation," Agostinho Kipanda, one of the protesters, told a DW reporter. Despite police repression, organizers have announced plans for further protests. Activist Laura Macedo is calling on citizens to stay home as a form of peaceful resistance. "Please, let's make an effort. Nobody leaves the house. Let's show our discontent while we prepare the next march for Saturday," Macedo said. The protest leaders have vowed to continue until the government reverses its decision to increase fuel prices. The government claims that the opposition is manipulating the various protest movements. Angola's next elections are scheduled for 2027, and President Lourenco is not eligible to seek a third term.
News24
4 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Angola protests turn violent as police crack down on fuel hike demos
Julio Pacheco Ntela/AFP Anti-government protests in the Angolan capital Luanda on 12 July were met with a harsh crackdown, resulting in injuries and arrests. 'We recorded several injuries, some serious and requiring medical attention,' Adilson Manuel, an activist and one of the organisers, told DW. 'In addition to the injured, there were also arrests. One protester remains in police custody without a clear reason. He is currently held at the Nova Vida police station and will be handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office for questioning.' The protests began peacefully in Sao Paulo Square, a neighbourhood in Luanda. Hundreds of citizens - activists, civil society members, taxi drivers, vendors, students and opposition party members - joined a march organised by a social movement against a government decree that raised fuel prices. READ | US envoy plays down AGOA, African visa concerns Chants filled the air, including the national anthem and improvised songs such as 'First Angolan, second Angolan, always Angolan'. Protesters criticised the ruling MPLA party, carrying signs with slogans like 'MPLA drank all the oil', 'We're tired of eating from the trash', and 'The country is good, but the MPLA is no good'. The MPLA, or People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola party, has governed Angola continuously since its independence 50 years ago. Rising prices push Angolans to the limit Taxi fares increased to 300 kwanzas per trip ($0.33), and urban bus fares rose to 200 kwanzas on 7 July. This followed a fuel price increase from 300 to 400 kwanzas per litre three days earlier in the country that is one of Africa's largest oil producers. However, rising fuel prices are not the only critical issue for many Angolans. Just weeks ago, students mobilised to protest government policies. Schools lack basic necessities such as chairs, desks and toilets. A new youth movement called the 'Movimento dos Estudantes Angolanos' (MEA) organised protests and strikes, accusing President Joao Lourenco's government of ignoring youth concerns. Instead of addressing their needs, the government recently raised university tuition fees. The young protesters warned: 'Either the government changes the situation, or it will be overthrown.' Broader discontent with ruling party Also, during the latest protests over fuel prices, many voiced frustrations against Lourenco and the ruling MPLA party. Protesters marching to Largo da Maianga, near the National Assembly, were blocked by police at Primeiro de Maio and Largo da Independencia squares. 'Please help us. We are hungry, the whole country is hungry, but our president is not paying attention to this situation,' Agostinho Kipanda, one of the protesters, told a DW reporter. Despite police repression, organisers have announced plans for further protests. Activist Laura Macedo is calling on citizens to stay home as a form of peaceful resistance. 'Please, let's make an effort. Nobody leaves the house. Let's show our discontent while we prepare the next march for Saturday,' Macedo said. In recent years, fuel prices have been repeatedly increased - also under pressure from the International Monetary Fund - sparking frequent protests. The protest leaders have vowed to continue until the government reverses its decision to increase fuel prices. The government claims that the opposition is manipulating the various protest movements. Angola's next elections are scheduled for 2027, and President Lourenco is not eligible to seek a third term.
DW
5 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Angola: Mass protests over rising prices
Activists are calling for a stay-at-home strike as they prepare for the next protest over rising fuel and transport prices. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas when protesters gathered in Luanda on July 12. Anti-government protests in the Angolan capital Luanda on July 12 were met with a harsh crackdown, resulting in injuries and arrests. "We recorded several injuries, some serious and requiring medical attention," Adilson Manuel, an activist and one of the organizers, told DW. "In addition to the injured, there were also arrests. One protester remains in police custody without clear reason. He is currently held at the Nova Vida police station and will be handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office for questioning." Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters in Luanda on July 12 Image: Manuel Luamba/DW A social movement against the government The protests began peacefully in Sao Paulo Square, a neighborhood in Luanda. Hundreds of citizens — activists, civil society members, taxi drivers, vendors, students, and opposition party members — joined a march organized by a social movement against the government decree that raised fuel prices. Chants filled the air, including the national anthem and improvised songs such as "First Angolan, second Angolan, always Angolan." Protesters carried signs with slogans like "MPLA drank all the oil," "We're tired of eating from the trash," and "The country is good, but the MPLA is no good." The MPLA, or People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola party, has governed Angola continuously since independence 50 years ago. Demonstration in Luanda against the fuel price hike: "The MPLA party drank all the oil!" Image: Manuel Luamba/DW Rising prices push Angolans to the limit Taxi fares increased to 300 kwanzas per trip ($0.33, €0.28), and urban bus fares rose to 200 kwanzas on July 7. It followed a fuel price increase from 300 to 400 kwanzas per liter three days earlier, in the country that is one of Africa's largest oil producers. However, for many Angolans, rising fuel prices are not the only critical issue. Just weeks ago, students and pupils mobilized to protest government policies. A new youth movement called the "Movimento dos Estudantes Angolanos" (MEA) organized protests and strikes, accusing President Joao Lourenco's government of ignoring youth concerns. Instead of addressing their needs, the government recently raised university tuition fees. Schools lack basic necessities such as chairs, desks, and toilets. The young protesters warned: "Either the government changes the situation, or it will be overthrown." Young Angolans protested poor school conditions in April Image: Borralho Ndomba/DW Broader discontent with ruling party Also during the latest protests over fuel prices, many voiced frustrations against Lourenco and the ruling MPLA party. Protesters marching to Largo da Maianga, near the National Assembly, were blocked by police at Primeiro de Maio and Largo da Independencia squares. "Please help us. We are hungry, the whole country is hungry, but our president is not paying attention to this situation," Agostinho Kipanda, one of the protesters, told a DW reporter. The fares for shared taxis and public transport are skyrocketing in Angola Image: Borralho Ndomba/DW Future protests and government response Despite police repression, organizers have announced plans for further protests. Activist Laura Macedo is calling on citizens to stay home as a form of peaceful resistance. "Please, let's make an effort. Nobody leaves the house. Let's show our discontent while we prepare the next march for Saturday," Macedo said. In recent years, fuel prices have been repeatedly increased — also under pressure from the International Monetary Fund — sparking frequent protests. The protest leaders have vow to continue until the government reverses its decision to increase fuel prices. The government claims that the various protest movements are being manipulated by the opposition. Angola's next elections are scheduled for 2027 and President Lourenco is not eligible to seek a third term. Angolan President Lourenco speaks with DW about dos Santos Edited by: Benita van Eyssen
Telegraph
07-03-2025
- Telegraph
This African nation was off-limits for decades – now it's finally opening up
How much should you trust a country that has a machete on its flag? The sight of a long boarded-up cinema and the chain-link fence encircling the local government headquarters didn't fill me with ease. But just when you think Angola isn't a nation capable of beguiling tourists, something always comes along that stops you in your tracks. On this particular morning, after a drive of eight hours from the coastal capital city of Luanda, it was the majesty of Kalandula Falls. I'd travelled to Malanje province in the north-east of the country that morning, passing distant, mist-smeared hills and fat baobab trees. Chickens and children competed as to who could make the most noise as we passed villages of cinder block and thatch, or stopped at roadside stalls selling passion fruit and stubby bananas that tasted like sugary milkshakes. At the outskirts of Kalandula, I left my tour bus and walked across the slippery charcoal-coloured stones that led to a hexagonal concrete look-out point; its red surfaces long since bleached to a salmon hue by the sun. In front of me the falls looked like an array of giant pistons forcing a creamy curtain of water into the churning caldera. And as the falls sprayed and pulsed, I wondered how many other European tourists had seen Kalandula, the only serious rival to Victoria Falls in southern Africa, in the last 50 years. The numbers will be vanishingly small, because until recently Angola was seen as the last nation in southern Africa still considered 'out of bounds' to travellers. The country's isolation is due to a decades long conflict that boiled over into a malevolent furnace of violence, pitting the MPLA (supported by the then Soviet Union and Cuba) against the rebel forces of Unita (at the time supported by the US and apartheid-era South Africa). The result was one of the most entrenched and devastating post-colonial civil wars in Africa, which lasted from the moment Portuguese rule ended in 1975 until 2002, when Unita leader Jonas Savimbi was killed in battle. That was nearly a quarter of a century ago. Yet Angola then developed a reputation as a kleptocracy. The late MPLA leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos and his daughter Isabel enriched themselves from the country's plentiful oil reserves, while citizens went without sanitation or anything approaching a competent rebuilding plan. Now, though, Angola is changing. The FCDO still advises against all but essential travel to some parts of the country, but the formerly byzantine visa requirements were dropped last year, meaning visitors can enter for free with no prior wrangling with consulates. The current President Joao Lourenço has, according to my guide Martial, made some surprising moves by firing (and in some cases imprisoning) high-ranking officials from the dos Santos era (the former President died in 2022) while using Chinese investment to rebuild many of the nation's roads, including the one I took to Kalandula. 'Angola's wealth is not well distributed,' Martial tells me that evening over a typically fiery Angolan dish of grilled mufete fish served with plantain and chilli sauce. 'Dos Santos treated the country like a kingdom. Reconstruction of the country can only happen by completely restarting everything and stopping the stealing. In the next 15 years if the current government continues like it is, then the country will improve. Roads are already better. We now need to start changing the mentality. You should know that the journey from Luanda to Kalandula used to take over 12 hours!' Getting to Angola in the first place is no longer particularly hard. There are daily flights on Portuguese national airline TAP from Heathrow via Lisbon; there's only a one-hour time difference from the UK when you land in Luanda. And Luanda is a capital city that has the potential to be beautiful one day. The Ilha, a spit of land that spools just off the curved, palm-lined lagoon that leads out into the Atlantic, has a slew of beach bars such as Café del Mar that serve caipirinhas and poké bowls to the local elite and the itinerant oil executives who are posted here from London, South Africa and the US. The crinkly yellow sands are populated on weekends by locals drinking cans of Cuca beer and taking tentative dips into the waters that lick the shore. There are still a few roaming policeman aiming stares at tourists like me, but that's hardly surprising given Angola's near half century as a nation little visited by outsiders. The state of Angola's national parks was one of utter desolation until recently; the wildlife poached and eaten by a desperate populous during the dark decades of war. Yet 'Operation Noah's Ark' has repopulated some of the parks by transporting elephants, zebras and many other mammals from Botswana and South Africa. Only an hour's drive from Luanda, I travelled through the northern region of Kissama National Park on a rattling, tarpaulin-roofed truck, spotting wildebeest galore as well as zebras, bushbuck and even an elephant showering itself with water. If your idea of a holiday in Africa is wine-tasting in the Western Cape or reclining with cocktails in a chi-chi resort in Zanzibar, then Angola is categorically not for you. However, if you've already explored Malawi and Zambia and don't mind dealing with the vicissitudes of an infrastructure that is far from seamless then Angola won't feel too far out of your comfort zone. It's true that Luanda contains more than its fair share of squalor, yet moments of hope are never far away. Around 15 miles from Kalandula flows another waterfall, smaller but still hugely impressive, called Musseleje. In late afternoon, I clambered into the warm pool and soaked myself in my own version of a Timotei or Bounty bar advert. I was joined by a group of teenage boys from the nearby village who use the waterfall and pool as a laundry, scrubbing their T-shirts with tiny bars of marmalade-coloured soap. It seemed the falls were a social club, too. With my Lisbon-gutter levels of Portuguese, I attempted to talk to them while they clambered up the perilous rocks before diving off in kamikaze style. 'We need to provide for ourselves, not wait for government to help us,' one young man of around 16 told me. 'I don't mind farming early in morning and walking to work. Angola will be better soon. It will be a place where people would like to come I think.' I agreed, and then we both submerged ourselves again in the warm, clear waters. Essentials Lupine Travel runs six-day escorted tours to Luanda, moving on to Kalandula Falls and the Kissama National Park. Prices start from £2,195 per person excluding international flights TAP flies from London to Luanda via Lisbon daily, with return flights costing from £730.
