Locals in sections within Luanda remain afraid to discuss publicly about July’s events, when uprisings halted daily activities and turmoil impacted multiple provinces.
Initially launched as a demand among cab operators to oppose increased petrol costs evolved into 72 hours of violence, leading to at least three dozen fatalities and numerous individuals of detentions.
Roads were blocked with burning tyres, shops were looted, and skirmishes occurred between protesters and police.
This marked one of the most impactful waves of dissent since the conclusion of the internal conflict in 2002.
Root Reasons: Destitution and Disparity
In the lead-up to resource-abundant Angola commemorating 50 years of independence from Portugal, the movements underscored persistent concerns about impoverishment and wealth gaps.
In neighborhoods where protests were strongest, scarce residents are willing to share views publicly, fearing retaliation or targeting due to widespread detentions during and after the events.
"Events might have gotten out of control, but we had to make that much noise to alert those in power," shared a young street vendor from Luanda who wished to stay unidentified.
Having left school before completing high school, he now sells refreshments along one of the capital's most crowded avenues to sustain his family.
He is countless people grappling to survive amid modern infrastructures erected by petroleum income.
Joblessness Among Young People Drives Resentment
In his view, taking part in the initial phase of protests was a way to show that "our opinions matter" and that individuals in his situation deserve a piece of the wealth of a country that is "affluent for a few, but miserable for so many of us."
Joblessness among young adults has been a primary cause of dissent in this young nation where the median average age is below 16.
Joblessness among youth stands at 54%, based on national data. Out of 18 million young people of productive years, only a fraction have jobs in the formal sector – implying they get regular wages and contribute to public funds.
Across urban centers, a large population of idle adolescents who are no longer in school emphasize the state's struggle in meeting their aspirations.
"I just vend on the street when I can earn sufficient funds to buy the soft drinks," the street vendor noted. "At times when I have zero income because business is so poor. Myself and many others live like this, and authorities ignore us. That’s why we refuse to stay quiet."
Expert Analysis
Angolan sociologist Gilson Lázaro was expecting by the summer protests. He believes that those at the core of the movements were the "marginalized."
"They represent young people, the bulk, who have little remaining but their lives. That is why they demonstrated openly without fear," he commented.
The demonstrations emerged without planning in some of Luanda's more populous and poorer areas, where some residents lack access to essential services as well as other critical facilities.
Step by step, protesters moved into the capital's primary streets, causing chaos and "revealing a social problem that has long existed but which the governing class has chosen to overlook," according to the analyst.
"For some time, Angola has been moving into a serious societal, economic, and, primarily, political legitimacy crisis. The root cause is the defective way the country has been run since the end of the civil war in 2002," Dr. Lázaro commented.
Official Reaction
The Angolan government has expressed a opposing stance.
A government official did not acknowledge a request for statement on the events and their fallout, but in a national address, President João Lourenço made his position clear.
He criticized the protests as "deeds committed by reckless individuals, influenced by anti-patriotic domestic and international organizations through online platforms, bringing grief, destruction of government and civilian possessions, limited availability to critical products and support, and layoffs for Angolans."
Financial Struggles
Regardless of frequent commitments to broaden economic sectors, Angola remains concentrated in oil and gas, which are by far the country's leading traded goods as well as the major origin of public funds.
"Mineral wealth are good, but the problem lies in how income are allocated," national analyst Francisco Paulo stated. "Should the nation emulate systems like Norway or Saudi Arabia, using oil wealth to strengthen non-oil sectors and develop its human capital, it would be a blessing. Sadly, revenues here are wasted on frivolous outlays with no real benefit."
Following the departure of former President Dos Santos, Angola endured five straight years of economic contraction between 2017 and 2021.
Recovery only returned in 2022, mainly fueled by non-oil sectors. But recent growth has had minimal effect on most Angolans' lives.
As per an analysis this year, the World Bank estimated that more than a third of the population live on less than $2.15 per day.
Experts noted that while the economy was developing, it was not matching population growth, meaning that, on average, people were becoming more impoverished.
What Comes Next
As independence celebrations approach, plans including music festivals, official recognitions, and a football match including global star Messi are in full swing.
But young scholar Lea Komba questions the old socialist slogan "one people, one nation," created during the one-party Marxist-Leninist regime of the late 1970s.
"This is inaccurate that we all share the same reality. There is huge inequality. Young people in neglected zones are almost destined for extreme poverty, without proper schooling or decent jobs, even if they work diligently and earn a degree," she remarked.
"These young people think with their immediate necessities, because starvation leaves them with no alternatives. They are the ones who occupied public spaces."
Ms. Komba added that "government leaders must look at fundamental reasons, not just results."
"Vandalism was simply the way young people found to draw attention from those in power."
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