“The hungry cannot silence”

People in parts of the Angolan capital, Luanda, are still afraid to speak frankly about what happened in July when the protests brought part of the city to stopping and disturbances shaking other provinces as well.

What began as a call among taxi drivers to go out against the jump in the price of fuel has turned into a three -day violence with at least 30 people losing their lives and arrested thousands later.

The roads were banned with burning tires, the stores were looted and clashes erupted between the demonstrators and the police.

It was one of the most important waves of protest since the end of the civil war in 2002.

In the period before Angola, a 50 -year -old Oil, independence from Portugal on November 11, the demonstrations highlighted the ongoing concerns about poverty and inequality.

In the neighborhoods where the demonstrations were stronger, a few people are ready to speak publicly, anxiety about revenge or persecution in light of the many arrests during and after the protests.

“Perhaps things have gone out of control, but we needed to cause a lot of noise to wake up those in power,” 24 -year -old Luanda Street, who wanted to not be identified, told BBC.

After leaving the school before completing secondary education, he is now selling soft drinks along the Avenida Pedro de Castro van-dúnem Loy, one of the most crowded ways in the capital, to help support his family.

He is one of the millions here is struggling to get it among the sparkling skyscrapers that were built by oil money.

For the seller, joining the first day of the protests was a way to show that “we have a voice” and that people like him deserve a share of the country’s wealth “rich in some, but miserable for many of us.”

Youth unemployment was a major driver of the protests in this young country, with average average age under 16 years of age.

Unemployment appears among children between the ages of 15 and 24, 54 %, as official figures indicate. Of the 18 million working young men, only three million have jobs in the official sector – which means that they get regular wages and pay taxes.

In the main Angola cities, many unemployed youth, who are not in school, highlight the state’s difficulty in meeting their aspirations.

“I only sell on the street when I can get enough money to buy soft drinks,” the seller said.

“There are months in which I do not sell anything at all because the work is very slow. I and many other young people live like this and no one cares about us. For this reason we cannot silence.”

Sociologist Angolan Gilson Lazaro was not surprised by what happened in July. He believes that those in the heart of the protests were “deprived”.

“These are young people, the majority, who are left only their lives. For this reason they took the streets without fear,” he said.

Protests have appeared automatically in some of the most populated Luanda neighborhoods and the poor, as some residents lack the basic sanitation as well as other basic infrastructure.

The demonstrators gradually moved to the ways of the main capital, causing chaos and “raising the veil about a social problem that had been present for a long time, but the political elite preferred to ignore it,” according to the sociologist.

“For some time now, Angola has been heading towards a deep legitimate political crisis, and above all, and the root reason is the defective way the country has governed since the end of the civil war in 2002.”

The SPLM has been responsible for the country for five decades of independence.

There was some hope that Joao Loreno, who in 2017 took over as President of Jose Eduardo Doss Santos, 36 years old, would change things.

He is now spending a second consecutive term after the 2022 elections.

Loreno promised to reform what the broken system inherited from his predecessor considered corruption, diversifying the economy and creating job opportunities.

Eight years later, critics argue that he failed to do this and fight to manage the cost crisis-despite the slightly decrease, the annual inflation rate is still high at about 18 %. According to the 2024 Afrobarometer survey, 63 % of Angolan says that the country’s economic situation has worsened compared to the previous year.

Young people have carried problems and were at the forefront of most of the anti -government protests in recent years, on issues ranging from corruption and police brutality to the demands of local elections, and against hunger and poverty.

However, nothing corresponds to the disorder scale in July.

Lea Komba, a 20 -year -old political science student, says that fuel protests were “terrifying but somewhat expected” given the current reality of the country.

She said: “We live in a country where young people are ignored by those in power. The protests are the only way to show dissatisfaction with the circumstances fraught with the risks we face.”

The Angolan government took a different view.

A government official did not respond to the BBC request to comment on the demonstrations and beyond, but in a national speech on August 1, President Loreno explained his feelings.

The protests have been condemned as “acts committed by irresponsible citizens, manipulated by anti -news national and foreign organizations through social media, bringing mourning, destroying public and private property, reducing access to basic goods and services, and loss of jobs for Angolas.”

Despite the repeated promises to diversify its economy, Angola still depends on oil and gas, which is largely the main exports in the country as well as the main source of government revenue.

“The natural resources are good, but the problem is how to use revenues,” said Francisco Paulo, an Angolan economist.

“If Angola follows models such as Norway or Saudi Arabia, using oil wealth to enhance non -oil sectors and develop their workforce, this will be a blessing. Unfortunately, revenues here are lost on superficial expenses without any added value.”

After the departure of Doss Santos, Angola carried five years in a row when the economy decreased between 2017 and 2021.

Growth returned only in 2022, largely driven by non -oil sectors. But the last growth had no little impact on the lives of most Angolan.

In this year’s report, the World Bank estimated that more than a third of the population lives at less than $ 2.15 a day.

He said that although the economy was expanding, he was not keeping pace with population growth, which means that, on average, people were disappearing.

With independence celebrations approaching, plans including music festivals, presidential medal parties and football match include Argentine Lionel Messi in full swing.

But the student, Mrs. Komba, wonders about the old socialism slogan, “One People, One Nation”, during the Marxist Marxist regime formulated one in the late 1970s.

She said: “It is not simply true that we all share the same reality. There is great inequality. Young people are condemned in almost marginalized areas of extreme poverty, without good education or decent functions, even if they are studying heavily and get a certificate.”

“These young people think about their stomachs, because hunger lets them not lose anything. They are the ones who filled the streets.”

“The authorities must look at the root causes, not just the consequences,” Ms. Komba added.

“Looting was simply the way young people found to attract attention from those in power.”

It believes that there can be more disturbances.

“From now until the 2027 elections, we will likely see more protests. Whether we like it or not, political awareness grows in Angola, and the elections are seen as a crucial moment for real change.”