Protests Rock Angola Over Fuel Price Hike

 Angolan police have fired tear gas in the capital Luanda and other cities, like Benguela and Namibe, as thousands of protesters took to the streets a week after clashes over a recent fuel hike killed at least five people.

President Joao Lourenco on June 8 fired the economic coordination minister and replaced him with the central bank governor in the wake of the deadly protests.
Africa’s second biggest crude oil producer earlier this month joined its larger continental rival, Nigeria, in reducing gasoline subsidies, almost doubling pump prices and triggering protests.

The subsidy cut nearly doubled the petrol price to almost 300 kwanzas ($0.4781) per litre, although that was still below the market rate.
Local media at the time quoted Angolan Economic Coordination Minister Manuel Nunes Junior, who was subsequently fired, as saying the aim was to rein in government spending.

On Saturday in Benguela, a large crowd of protesters holding cardboard placards were shown on social and local media as anti-riot police with batons and helmets patrolled the streets, a Reuters report said.

In Luanda, police shot teargas to control the crowd, with TV footage showing at least one burning barricade spewing smoke.
Angola had reduced its gasoline subsidy, almost doubling pump prices in a nation that has some of the world’s cheapest fuel.

The decision came the same week that Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, scrapped its own subsidy, causing pump prices to triple. Like Angola, Nigeria is seeking to rein in expenditure as its economy languishes.

During his inauguration, President Bola Tinubu announced that fuel subsidy was “gone”, promising to re-channel the savings to education, health, infrastructure, among others.

There has been no major public protest in Nigeria, as the federal government said it would continue negotiations with organised labour after the courts earlier halted a planned strike.

Emmanuel Addeh

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