A nationwide strike over rising fuel prices in Angola has led to two days of violent protests and looting that left 22 people dead and nearly 200 others injured, the government announced on Wednesday, as calm slowly returned to the capital, Luanda.

The unrest, which broke out on Monday following a strike call by taxi drivers, marked one of the most violent episodes in recent years in the oil-rich country where millions continue to live in poverty.

Protesters took to the streets after the government raised fuel prices on July 1, a move that has sparked widespread anger and frustration.

According to Interior Minister Manuel Homem, the violence claimed the lives of 22 people, including one police officer. "We regret 22 deaths, including one police officer," he told journalists on the sidelines of a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Joao Lourenco.

The minister said more than 1,200 people had been arrested during the protests, which also left nearly 200 injured. Several supermarkets and warehouses were looted as protesters made off with food and basic supplies, damaging 66 shops in the process.

Sporadic gunfire echoed across Luanda and other cities on Monday and Tuesday as demonstrators clashed with police in a wave of chaos. In the southern city of Lubango, police confirmed that an officer had shot and killed a 16-year-old boy who was part of a group trying to storm the local headquarters of the ruling MPLA party.

By Wednesday, streets in Luanda remained tense and mostly deserted, with a strong presence of security forces. Some petrol stations and shops saw long queues, while many businesses remained closed despite public transport slowly resuming after a two-day halt.

A government statement released after the ministers’ meeting described the protests as a “threat to security,” blaming “elements with criminal intentions” for turning the strike into acts of vandalism and rioting that spread beyond the capital. It warned that the violence had "triggered a climate of widespread insecurity."

The protests follow a fuel price increase from 300 to 400 kwanzas per litre, which the government says is part of its effort to reduce fuel subsidies and reallocate funds towards essential services like health and education.

However, the decision has hit hard in a country already struggling with inflation at around 20 percent and an unemployment rate near 30 percent.

"The government seems to ignore its population," said Daniel Pedro, a 32-year-old teacher in Luanda. "They say that youth is the future of tomorrow, yet today it is unemployed. I have a deep feeling of insecurity," he told AFP.

On Saturday, an earlier demonstration of around 2,000 people in Luanda saw protesters not only condemn the fuel hike but also carry placards criticizing the ruling MPLA party and President Lourenco, who was re-elected in 2022.

Similar protests had been held the previous two weekends.

Opposition parties UNITA and Bloco Democratico, in a joint statement on Wednesday, said Angola was facing a “severe economic and social crisis” caused by government policies “disconnected from the country’s reality.”

Amnesty International and other rights groups have accused Angolan police of using excessive force during protests.

The country is still grappling with the legacy of a long civil war that ended in 2002, and nearly four decades of authoritarian rule under former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos.