Manuel Homem, Angola’s minister of interior, says at least 22 people have died and nearly 200 others have been injured in protests against the petrol price hike in the country.
The protests erupted on Monday in response to the government’s decision earlier this month to raise the price of petrol by 30 percent, which led to large hikes in fares by minibus taxis, an important method of transport for many Angolans.
Police said in a statement on Tuesday that hundreds of arrests were made in connection with rioting, vandalism, and looting of shops.
Cars and buses were damaged, and roads were blocked.
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Transport in Luanda, the capital, remained suspended, and shops closed on Tuesday.
Petrol has been heavily subsidised in Angola, leading to a high national debt.
The Angolan government cited a need to reduce the debt as the reason for the fuel price hike.
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But the Southern African nation has been gradually removing fuel subsidies since 2023, when a petrol price hike also triggered deadly protests.
Mateus de Lemos, the police spokesperson, said more than 1,200 demonstrators have been detained in the past three days.
