AT LEAST four people have been killed and more than 500 arrested during two days of protests in the Angolan capital Luanda sparked by a rise in fuel prices.

The protests erupted on Monday following the government’s decision earlier this month to raise the price of diesel by more than 30 per cent, which resulted in steep fare increases for minibus taxis that are the preferred method of transport for many Angolans.

A police statement said hundreds of arrests had been made in connection with rioting, vandalism and looting of shops. Cars and buses were damaged and roads were blocked.

Four people were killed in the unrest, police spokesman Mateus de Lemos Rodrigues said on Tuesday. The police statement said that order had now been restored to most parts of the city.

Similar protests against the fuel price rises took place earlier this month, when Human Rights Watch accused the police of using excessive force against a largely peaceful demonstration.

Security forces have often been accused of crushing protests in Angola, where the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola has held power ever since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975.