Recent events in Angola have sparked significant concern following allegations of excessive force used by the police against peaceful protesters in Luanda. On July 12, 2025, Human Rights Watch reported that the Angolan police acted with unwarranted aggression, deploying tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators, and arbitrarily arresting 17 individuals. Some of those detained were released only after legal interventions JURIST.
The protest was organized by youth groups and civil society organizations as a reaction to the government’s decision to increase fuel prices and remove public transport subsidies, actions taken without public consultation. Hundreds of participants marched from Luanda’s São Paulo neighborhood towards Largo 1º de Maio, only to be met with force allegedly without prior warning, resulting in four serious injuries, including one protester requiring surgery after being struck by a tear gas canister.
Responding to these claims, the Angolan Police General Command defended the actions as necessary to maintain public order, arguing that the protesters deviated from the approved route. This assertion was countered by protest spokesperson Aidilson Manuel, who confirmed that the demonstration had received proper authorization Human Rights Watch.
Such incidents continue to fuel concerns mirrored in Amnesty International’s report from November 2024. This report documented ongoing police violence during protests, urging the Angolan authorities to enforce accountability for incidents resulting in deaths or injuries. Amnesty portrayed a troubling pattern in which, between November 2020 and June 2023, at least 17 people lost their lives in protests, with no officers prosecuted to date Amnesty.
The unfolding situation in Angola underscores a critical need for independent investigations into law enforcement practices, with the government being called upon to adhere to international human rights standards, such as those outlined in the ICCPR and ACHPR.