Angola's fuel price protests leave 4 dead and lead to hundreds of arrests

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Four people have been killed and more than 500 arrested during two days of protests in Luanda, the capital of Angola, sparked by a rise in fuel prices, police said Tuesday.

The protests erupted Monday over the government's decision earlier this month to raise the price of diesel by more than 30%, which resulted in large price hikes by minibus taxis that are the preferred method of transport for many Angolans.

A police statement said hundreds of arrests were made in connection with rioting, vandalism and looting of shops. Cars and buses were damaged and roads were blocked.

Four people were killed in the unrest, police spokesperson Mateus de Lemos Rodrigues said Tuesday. The police statement said order had now been restored in most parts of the city.

Similar protests against the fuel hikes were held earlier this month, when Human Rights Watch accused the police of excessive force against what was a largely peaceful demonstration.

Security forces have often been accused of clamping down on protests in Angola, where the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola party has been in power for 50 years since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975.