The statement from the 21st extraordinary meeting of this body of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which Lusa had access to this Thursday, states that the meeting, which took place under the leadership of the party leader, Adalberto Costa Júnior, analyzed the country's political, economic, and social situation, highlighting "the grave situation" experienced in Angola between July 28th and 30th.
At issue was the shutdown of taxi services in protest against rising fuel prices and public transportation fares, which escalated into a riot characterized by looting and violence, resulting in 30 deaths, 277 injuries, and over 1500 arrests, according to police data.
According to the statement, the protests against rising fuel prices also served to demonstrate that "the already precarious social and economic situation of the population, exposed to hunger and poverty," resulting from "bad policies," has worsened.
"The Standing Committee of the UNITA Political Commission recognizes the legitimacy of organizations representing taxi drivers in exercising a constitutional right to defend their members by decreeing a taxi strike in response to rising fuel prices," the statement emphasizes.
This body, representing the country's second-largest political party, lamented "the deaths of defenseless citizens, many resulting from summary executions by some defense and security force officers, which occurred during the popular protests." It also deplored the death of a National Police officer during the riots and condemned the assaults on public and private property, "causing significant damage to the economy."
"The Standing Committee of the UNITA Political Commission draws attention to the attitude of the President of the Republic, who, in his public and other statements (...) has never spoken out about the summary executions, which violate the right to life enshrined in Article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola," the statement emphasizes.
He also regrets the lack of a statement from the head of state regarding "arbitrary arrests," as well as "the disproportionate use of force, widely denounced by citizens and human rights organizations."
Internally, the Standing Committee of UNITA's Political Commission strongly condemned "all attempts to interfere in the party's XIV ordinary assembly, scheduled for this year, "conditioning it to serve the interests of those in power, as happened before the 2022 elections."
