Hunger and anger drive deadly July protests in oil-rich Angola

At least 30 people were killed and thousands detained after three days of protests in July that paralysed parts of the Angolan capital, Luanda, and spread to other provinces, officials and witnesses said.

The unrest began as a call among taxi drivers to protest a jump in fuel prices and quickly escalated. Roads were blocked with burning tyres, shops were looted and clashes erupted between demonstrators and police. Authorities have mounted a wide arrest campaign in the aftermath, and many residents in affected neighbourhoods said they remain unwilling to speak openly for fear of reprisals.

People involved in or close to the demonstrations described a mix of spontaneous and organised action, with young vendors, taxi drivers and students among those who took to the streets. "Things may have got a little out of control, but we needed to make that much noise to wake up those in power," a 24-year-old street vendor who spoke to the BBC said, asking to remain anonymous. He said he sells soft drinks on Avenida Pedro de Castro Van-Dúnem Loy to support his family and joined the protests to show that "we have a voice".

Angola’s demographic profile and labour market help explain the scale of the unrest. The country’s median age is under 16 and official figures show unemployment among 15- to 24-year-olds at about 54%. Out of roughly 18 million young people of working age, only about three million are employed in the formal sector, according to government data cited by local analysts. Many young people work in the informal economy and say they do not see the benefits of the country’s oil revenues.

Sociologist Gilson Lázaro described the protesters as the "dispossessed" — predominantly young people from populous, poorer neighbourhoods who lack access to basic services such as sanitation and decent jobs. He said demonstrators gradually moved onto the capital’s main avenues, "lifting the veil on a social problem that has long existed but which the political elite has preferred to ignore."

President João Lourenço, who succeeded long-time ruler José Eduardo dos Santos in 2017, condemned the protests in a national address on Aug. 1 as "acts committed by irresponsible citizens, manipulated by anti-patriotic national and foreign organisations through social media," saying they caused mourning, destruction and reduced access to essential goods and services. A government official did not respond to a BBC request for further comment on the demonstrations and their aftermath.

Lourenço campaigned on promises to tackle corruption, diversify the economy and create jobs, but critics say progress has been limited. Annual inflation remains elevated at about 18% and a 2024 Afrobarometer survey found 63% of Angolans say the country’s economic situation has worsened over the previous year. The World Bank has estimated that more than one-third of the population lives on less than $2.15 per day and warned that economic expansion has not kept pace with population growth, leaving many households poorer on average.

Economists and activists point to Angola’s heavy dependence on oil and gas revenues as a central problem. "Natural resources are good, but the problem lies in how revenues are used," economist Francisco Paulo said. He argued that better-managed resource wealth could fund workforce development and diversification, but that revenues have at times been spent on "superficial expenses with no added value."

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has governed since independence from Portugal in 1975. Political tensions have flared in recent years over allegations of corruption, questions about police conduct and demands for greater local accountability. Student activists and other young people have been at the forefront of protests on a range of issues, including hunger and police brutality, but analysts say nothing in scale matched the July wave.

As Angola approaches the 50th anniversary of independence on Nov. 11, planned celebrations include music festivals, state ceremonies and football events. Some young people interviewed by international media said such displays of national pride ring hollow while many families struggle to meet basic needs. "We live in a country where young people are ignored by those in power," said Lea Komba, a 20-year-old political science student. She said many youths in marginalised areas feel they have "nothing to lose" and that the looting during the protests was a desperate way to attract attention.

Observers say the protests exposed long-running economic and political grievances that authorities now face managing without reinvigorating social tensions. Activists and some analysts warn that unless the government addresses job creation, public services and perceptions of unequal distribution of wealth, the risk of renewed unrest could persist through the next election cycle.

International and domestic organisations monitoring human rights and governance have said they will continue to document arrests and the treatment of detainees. For many residents of Luanda’s poorer districts, the July events remain a stark reminder that economic growth based on extractive industries has not translated into shared improvements in living standards.