Cape Town, South Africa – For Julio Sando, there are two moments from a recent protest in Angola: a woman shot a woman and shouted: “Temos foam – we are hungry.”
After a few days of demonstrations against the decline of the fuel grant government, which included the robbery and burning of the street, where the quiet capital, Luanda and other parts of the country have returned The protest was troubled In the past week.
However, in the presence of the destroyed businesses and in the presence of the armed police and the army, Kandaro believes that this is just a beginning.
This is the worst reversal that he has seen in Angola for several decades compared to the violence that took place after the incident of 97 77 and after the elections in 1992 1992.
Thousands of Angolan died in the civil war, which started in 95 55 and ended in 5. This country died. The toll of this previous month’s death is one of the degrees, but the subsequent outcry is clear.
“Luanda is slowly getting his usual rhythm, but of course it is a different city. In the whole city, we see signs of what happened in the last day,” said Mozico, director of the Luinda-based rights group.
Thousands of people from Africa’s third -ranked oil producing country took to the streets last Monday to protest the government’s decision to reduce the fuel subsidy and increase the price of diesel from July 1.
It was greatly quiet after the first round protest on July 12.
According to the government, at least 22 people were killed and 197 were injured last week in clashes between police and protesters. More than 1.5 people were arrested.
The Minibus Taxi Association created unrest due to the three -day termination to protest the decision that the government was part of the necessary budgetary control measures.
‘People live in grief’
After reducing the fuel grant from 223, Angola has put pressure on the Budget of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
President Joao Lorenco’s government says financial restraint is needed, as the grant has a loan of about per cent and GDP’s total domestic production (GDP) and GDP’s debt.
Financial Coordination Minister Jose de Lima Masano said in April that last year, the fuel subsidy of about $ 3 billion was equal to the budget of 1.4 infrastructure and development projects. Of those projects, 500 was suspended due to difficulties.
Analysts say that part of this problem is a tremendous rely on Angola oil, which is about 60 percent of the government revenue and 95 percent of the export. However, the country has produced 30 percent of the demand for domestic fuel consumption from the only oil refinery, which is in the colonial period.
What is more, Angola made his 2025 budget based on the price of $ 70 per barrel, but US President Donald Trump fell below the Brent Oil Futures in April $ 60. Declared a sharp increase in rates??
Carlos Rosado de Carwalho, a professor of economics in the Catholic University of Angola, said that the oil market was released into an uncertain position due to the volatility of the oil market.
“This is a real problem, because (fuel) subsidy costs about $ Billion per year. It is more than spending together on health and education,” suggests that the government’s hand was forced.
However, he confesses that the time of the new policy was not ideal. This is with an increase in electricity and water bills up to 50 percent and 30 percent respectively.
D Carwalkho estimates that on July 225, the minimum wages were only 66 percent of the baskets of goods and services made in 2017 – Laurenko came to power.
At the same time, millions of Angolas have faced poverty and starvation due to low pay and rising unemployment. He said, “This is where the Angola, especially the Luada, should look for the reasons for the popular uprising.”
To make the matters worse, government leaders failed to inspire growth.
Production of commercial oil began in Angola in the middle of the 50s. The government said in 224, from oil exports. It is more than ten in the amount spent on revenue fuel subsidy.
The government critics say that most of the million in the country has not yet seen the benefits of living in a blessed country with natural wealth.
“High level of corruption does not benefit the general resources of the country’s natural resources,” Cordro said.
“And as we are watching all the rich natural resources in Africa, especially where it is exploiting, people live in grief.”
After the protest, he does not accept the justification given by the President Laurnko in the interview, that he proves the justification of reducing the grant relatively low fuel rates. The government has also pointed out that exemption prices have attracted illegal cross-border trades in neighboring countries.
Sando insisted that this is not a justification to raise fuel prices. He blames this place for many decades of misconduct for the MPLA party for the movement of the ruling people, and is believed to have other means of controlling public expenditure.
“If the government really wants to reduce the cost, it should stop the loan to stop the cost of unnecessary goods and services, to stop the debt to the high public office -bearers and to stop the debt to the slipper of luxury cars, with numerous entroversies, each person with extra stabbing.
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Atiya Heir, a development expert at Nairobi University, has called for rethinking the decision to reduce grants to the Angola government.
“Fuel grants are important in Angola because the goods are cheaper because the goods are cheaper. The government needs to make sure that the basic changes in the country will not affect the cost of baskets of the people of the country,” heir said that the Human Rights Commission in February this year has reported the Human Rights of Angola in February.
In her report, the heir from Kenya has warned that grant deductions could increase the price of food and have negative impact on insecure groups. She mentioned that the cost of basic steps such as eggs has already increased by 400 percent.
The report recommends that the government will evaluate the economic and social effects of reducing fuel grants, and will urge the search of an alternative support mechanism to reduce the negative consequences of the negative consequences on people with low -income homes.
World Bank researchers have also supported the heir’s findings. He said that the removal of grants could further increase poverty and inequality and can have serious consequences on certain areas like fishing and agriculture; Needless to say that this can be a nutritious crisis.
“To reduce this effect, the grant should be removed slowly and the public awareness campaign should be linked to the benefits of targeted support, cash transfer and grant reforms to specific manufacturers,” Article The World Bank Blog reads published in May in May.
However, the authors also pointed out that there are also shortage of fuel grants, including the benefit of rich families, including limiting public finances, limiting investment in physical and human capital, and promoting excessive use of fossil fuels.
‘The fight will continue’
There has been widespread criticism of the handling of subsidy reforms, especially after the protests.
Human rights clock Accused Police to use excessive power after tearful gas and rubber pills flown on July 12 at the first round of the first round against reducing subsidy.
Human Rights Watch Deputy Director Ashwani Budu-Scholatz said that the use of a comprehensive tendency for the security forces in Angola was part of the force. In 223, 400 female traders from Luinda. She condemned, who was beaten to death by tearful gas and police.
When Laureron was selected for the second term on August 7, Human Rights Watch made several recommendations to keep human rights at the center of his government’s policies, including investigating the frequent accusations of the violations of the rights of the rights by the state security forces, and making many recommendations against peaceful adults.
“Angolans should be able to condemn government policies in peace without excessive power and other violations of their fundamental rights,” Budu-Scholats said in a statement last month.
Despite the criticism, President Laurenco praised the police on Friday for “acting in his work area”.
In the national speech, he reminded Angolas that this year has five decades of independence, almost half of which were marked in the Civil War. They said, “(we) cannot accept or tolerate further pain and mourning in Angolan.”
He finished his address with the words “Long Live Angola”.
Meanwhile, Sando and other civil society groups do not feel anywhere as winning.
Overnight, for public transport on public transport like minibus tax, around overnight, 000 qzza ($ .3636) has increased to $.6565 per day, and earns less than $ 6565 per day, which earns less than $ 6565 per month, according to the World Bank.
It is almost indispensable to protest more due to the increasing cost, Kandaro said.
And due to economically desperate people on the road, it can also be looted, inspectors record.
“Some people do not agree with the destruction of business or other public goods. Others think that bringing financial and financial consequences is a compensation for the government (harming many) to the government.”
“For others, especially for the youth of the poor suburbs, the battle will continue until their social situation, especially until the hunger is cut.
“It was just the symptoms. These demonstrations will never stop until we deal with the original reasons. There is no taxi strike. This is an outcry for people who are hungry for bread pieces and some respect.”
