The Angolan non-governmental organizations OMUNGA, Friends of Angola, Upange, FORDU, and ALDA, in a statement of condemnation released this Monday, consider the internet shutdown last Saturday in Angola an undemocratic and dictatorial act against the free exercise of assembly and demonstration.
According to the NGOs, the executive branch led by President João Lourenço deprived internet services throughout the country for eight hours on July 19, 2025, during demonstrations in several provincial capitals against the rise in diesel prices.
"All marches started at 1:00 pm, and it was precisely during this period that there was a decrease in internet usage. In other words, internet access was cut off throughout the country while the demonstration against the rise in diesel prices was taking place," the statement reads.
For the civic associations, this conduct "is an unequivocal violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola," emphasizing that the use of new information technologies, especially social media, "have been alternatives to public media outlets managed with public resources."
"The internet service outage that occurred during the demonstrations indicates that the 'Higher Order' was involved, aiming to lessen the impact of the peaceful demonstrations taking place in various provinces across the country," the associations emphasize.
They also urge the Attorney General's Office to open an investigation to determine the motives and hold the perpetrators accountable for the harm caused to citizens.
Several people, particularly on social media, criticized the internet outage in Angola on Saturday, a time when several provinces were protesting against increases in fuel prices, taxi fares, and school fees, claiming that the measure was intended to curb the spread of the protests.
Angola Cables, a multinational telecommunications company, reported at the time that the country was partially cut off from internet access on Saturday due to a fault caused by roadworks that caused cuts in fiber optic connections and affected several internet operators.
