Luanda: Protests about a fuel price hike in Angola have left 22 dead and 197 injured, Interior Minister Manuel Homem said Wednesday. A police officer was among those killed, Homem told reporters after a Council of Ministers session.

According to Anadolu Agency, Angolan police arrested 1,214 people for alleged involvement in riots, lootings, and attacks on security forces, as reported by spokesperson sub-commissioner Mateus Rodrigues. Rodrigues emphasized the government's stance by stating, 'We want to reinforce our social condemnation of the acts recorded in Luanda, because it cannot in any way be understood that the acts perpetrated are to be called or treated as demonstrations.'

The unrest was precipitated by a decision from minibus and taxi associations to hike fares by 50%, which coincided with the start of a three-day strike on Monday when the violence erupted. The oil-rich southern African nation had been gradually cutting fuel subsidies since 2023, a move that has sparked protests over fuel price increases, reminiscent of similar deadly protests that occurred that same year.