Fuel Ignites Angolan Streets: Protests and Police

Angolan police forces fired tear gas in the capital Luanda and the cities of Benguela and Namibe to disperse thousands of protesters who took to the streets following a week of clashes caused by a recent rise in fuel prices that resulted in the deaths of at least five people. President João Lourenço dismissed the Minister of Economic Coordination on June 8, appointing the Central Bank Governor in his place in the aftermath of the bloody protests. Earlier this month, Angola, the second-largest crude oil producer in Africa, followed its larger competitor Nigeria in reducing fuel subsidies, which led to the outbreak of protests. The reduction of the fuel subsidy nearly doubled its price to around 300 Kwanza (0.4781 USD) per liter, though it remains below market price.