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Angolan President João Lourenço on Friday praised the nation’s security forces for their response to two days of widespread unrest that left 30 people dead.
However, his commendation came as rights groups and opposition parties accused the forces of using excessive force against demonstrators and killing “defenceless people.”
The violence, which began on Monday and Tuesday, was sparked by a fuel price hike and escalated into some of the worst unrest the oil-rich country has seen in years.
Dozens of shops and warehouses in the capital, Luanda, were looted, and vehicles were attacked.
Police confirmed a death toll of 30, including one police officer, with over 270 injuries, 10 of which were security personnel.
In his first public remarks on the situation, Lourenço stated that “law enforcement acted within the framework of their obligations, and therefore the order was promptly restored.”
He offered his thanks to the security forces and announced that the government would assist looted businesses.
The Human Rights Monitoring Working Group, a coalition of NGOs, condemned the violence but strongly criticised the security forces.
The group’s statement asserted that the looting was a reflection of “the hunger and extreme poverty affecting the majority of Angolans.”
It called on Lourenço to order security forces to “refrain from killing defenceless people” and to establish an independent commission to investigate the deaths.
One case that has drawn particular outrage on social media is that of Silvia Mubiala, a mother of six who was allegedly shot and killed by police while trying to protect her son.
The president, who has been in power since 1975, did not mention the July 1 fuel price increase in his address but did cite government investments in health, education, and job creation as a way to address social problems.
