Angola's Catholic Bishops Condemn Deadly Protests, Urge Youths to Embrace Dialogue amid Taxi Strike Unrest

Luanda, 30 July, 2025 / 10:00 PM

Angola's Catholic Bishops have denounced the widespread violence and vandalism that erupted in the Southern African nation amid a nationwide taxi drivers' strike in the country.

On Tuesday, July 29, at least four people died and several others were injured as Angolan taxi drivers went on the streets to protest a fuel price hike, Reuters reported.

The protests, which reportedly started on July 28, involved looting, acts of vandalism, and clashes with police.

In an audio message shared with ACI Africa, the President of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST) appealed for calm and dialogue.

“We are following with some apprehension the escalating vandalism that broke out here in our capital yesterday,” Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of the Catholic Archdiocese of Saurimo said in the July 29 audio message.

Archbishop Imbamba added, “It is true that we are living through very difficult times of poverty and misery in our country, but we cannot use this as an excuse to vandalize and destroy everything we have built with great sacrifice.”

The Catholic Church leader appealed to young people to choose restraint over violence, saying, “Let civility prevail, and may dialogue remain alive between us and our institutions.”

Archbishop Imbamba urged national unity in the face of hardship, saying, “I pray that we may all become more humble and serene, so we can confront our problems without animosity. I implore God to pour His blessings on us all so that we can work together, build our dreams, and uphold solidarity, development, respect, and human dignity.”

In an interview with ACI Africa, Pavlov Carlos, manager of a supermarket in Luanda’s Calemba 2 neighborhood, narrated how his store was completely emptied during the riots. 

“They took everything, including our personal belongings. The police couldn’t stop them because there weren’t enough officers. People were armed with knives, hammers… we feared for our lives,” he said.

Another employee, Guilhermina Francisco Vissesse, thanked the National Police for preventing the looting of her store in Grafanil. 

“The crowd broke down the gate, but the police arrived in time and guarded the location overnight,” he said.

Despite security forces being deployed throughout Luanda, looting continued in several districts. Mwanza Wa Mwanza, a resident in the Petrangol area, told ACI Africa, “The situation is chaotic. Shops are still being looted, and gunfire can be heard. The police need to act immediately to protect lives.”