Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan capital is experiencing its second consecutive day of insecurity today, with looting and acts of vandalism occurring mainly in peripheral areas, with supermarkets being the main targets, Lusa reported.
Around 9:30 a.m., in the Comarca area—an access road to Cacuaco, one of Luanda’s poorest areas—a crowd gathered to attack an Angomart supermarket. The road was closed, and police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, Lusa verified at the scene.
Reports gathered by Lusa journalists point to similar looting at several food stores in other areas of Luanda, accompanied by gunfire and clashes.
Videos shared on social media show attempted invasions of the Cidade da China mega-shopping center, as well as improvised barricades with burning tires on Luanda’s main access roads.
Some of these images mention the occurrence of deaths, with authorities announcing that four people have already died during the riots.
Due to the widespread climate of insecurity, several commercial establishments, banks, and public institutions announced today the preventive closure of their activities, and many companies are keeping employees working remotely while they await a return to normality.
The protests follow a nationwide taxi strike called to protest rising fuel prices.
Although the National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola (ANATA) announced the cancellation of the strike, after negotiations with the Provincial Government of Luanda, the protests degenerated into acts of vandalism in several neighborhoods of the capital.
On Monday, Luanda had already been the scene of clashes, looting and roadblocks, forcing police intervention.
Today, a strong police presence remains at strategic points in the city, including the presence of armored vehicles and military personnel.
The removal of fuel subsidies has generated strong social protests due to the impact on the cost of living for Angolans, who are already struggling with inflation levels of around 20%.
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