Government calls for confidence in national security agencies
The provisional balance of the Angolan authorities points to 22 dead, 197 injured and 1,214 arrests on the two days of riots recorded in Luanda province during a taxi driver stoppage, the government advanced on Wednesday.
The data were advanced by the Interior Minister of Angola, Manuel Homem, at the end of the meeting of the Council of Ministers, where the point of the last two days was passed, marked by acts of vandalism in the Angolan capital.
The acts of violence took place following the stoppage for three days of taxi services, convened by taxi associations and cooperatives, in protest in the face of fuel price and public transport rates.
Manuel Homem stated that it was watched in the last two days, especially the province of Luanda, acts of vandalism and that have undermined public security in the Angolan capital, but also on Tuesday of Huambo, Benguela and Huila province.
“But the information we want to convey to citizens is confident in national security agencies of the National Police, who are committed to ensuring that security and stability and social peace, which we all seek and aim for, materializes,” said Manuel Homem.
The minister said that there is also a record of the vandalization of means of public institutions, such as National Police vehicles, ambulances, buses, and that 66 stores, bank branches and private vehicles were also damaged.
“The organs of the Ministry of Interior have taken the measures to ensure that we return to normality, we want to convey to Angolan citizens and the resident community of our country that we will continue to ensure that public safety (…) will not change that make the social life of all of us unfeasible,” he said.
The Angolan ruler assured that the situation in Luanda returned to normality, and the means of public transport being regularly operated, as well as other public services, which had not been closed, “but that, by the nature of the situation, some of the civil servants did not work” as well as private institutions.
“But we will continue to maintain the measures that have already been taken to protect and maintain security in the country, in Luanda and other provinces in highlights,” he said.
“We want to leave this message of tranquility to citizens, which we will continue to serve and because the demonstrations are foreseen by law, are authorized, as long as they do not become acts of vandalism and riding, such as those we see, and that we will always be aware of the adequate response to each situation,” he concluded.
In the final statement of the Council of Ministers, it is noteworthy that the acts starred by the protesters, “coupled with the presence of infiltrated elements with criminal intentions, indicates that the phenomenon exceeded the scope of a simple claim and has taken over threat to safety and social peace, creating constraints on workers’ mobility and negative impact on social and economic sectors.”
