Angola - October 2023

Police and demonstrators clashed in the Angolan city of Saurimo (capital of the Lunda Sul province) on 8 October. The motivation for the demonstration was not completely clear, but press reports connect the demonstration to a movement that advocates for the independence of the eastern part of Angola, including Lunda Sul. The police confronted the demonstrators as they moved toward the city centre, and dispersed the crowd using tear gas, claiming that the demonstrators had begun to throw rocks and other objects at the police. At least 130 people (and perhaps as many as 200) were arrested. This most recent unrest follows a forceful police response to protests against cuts to fuel subsidies in June, and an August report from Human Rights Watch highlighting violence against political activists.

Sources: News24, Jornal de Angola, Ver Angola, Deutsche Welle (1), Voice of America, Deutsche Welle (2), Human Rights Watch