BBC news: Growing protests in Angola alarm long-term leader

Source: BBC News Africa

26/09/2011

"Political tensions are rising in Angola, where a small but increasingly vocal group of protesters are rattling the cage of the ruling party ahead of elections planned for next year.

Inspired by the downfall of North African regimes, the group of mostly young people, who have no fixed political affiliation, have been staging a series of anti-government street protests which, as in Egypt and Tunisia, have been organised via text messages and social media sites like Facebook and YouTube.

Although only attracting a few hundred people each time at most, such demonstrations are largely unheard of in Angola, where the regime drowns out critical voices through threats and patronage, and trade union action is muted.

The main driver behind the protests is unhappiness that, despite Angola's enormous oil wealth and post-war economic boom, two thirds of people still struggle in grinding poverty, many without running water and electricity.

And President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who last week clocked up 32 years in power, has become a target for this anger amid allegations that he and his family, along with close aides, have been getting rich through corruption and insider deals."

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