Transport in Luanda remained suspended and shops closed after massive looting on Monday, the first day of the taxi drivers’ strike to condemn the July 1 price rise, which had already led to several protests.
Gunfire could be heard in central Luanda’s Cazenga area, where people were seen taking food and other items from shops, an AFP reporter said.
Images shared on social media showed clashes in the Rocha Pinto suburb near the airport and security forces deploying to a street where burning rubbish bins barricaded a road in the Prenda area.
The government’s decision to raise heavily subsidised fuel prices from 300 to 400 kwanzas ($0.33 to $0.43) a litre in July has caused anger in Angola, one of Africa’s top oil producers, where many people live in poverty.
“We are tired … they must announce something for things to change … for us to live in better conditions,” a protester told Angola’s TV Nzinga.
“Why do you make us suffer like this? How will we feed our children? The prices have to go down,” a woman said, addressing President Joao Lourenco.
Police reported “a few isolated incidents of disorder” early Tuesday and said people involved “were repelled and continue to be repelled”.
“We currently report four deaths,” Deputy Commissioner Mateus Rodrigues told reporters in a briefing about Monday’s violence. He did not specify how they occurred.
Police rounded up 400 people overnight for suspected involvement in the unrest after arresting 100 on Monday, he said.
About 45 shops were vandalised, while 25 private vehicles and 20 public buses were damaged, he said. Banks were also targeted.
