Luanda, Aug. 1, 2025 (Lusa) - The Angolan civic movement Mudei reiterated its intention to hold a march in Cabinda on Saturday against the end of air transport subsidies and the 100% increase in maritime transport prices, despite warnings from the government.
In June, the Angolan president ordered an end to the subsidy for air fares on the Luanda-Cabinda route, a measure which, according to the presidential decree, aims to maintain a balance between promoting connectivity and territorial cohesion.
Mudei activists point out that "Cabinda is an archipelago that is connected to the rest of the country mainly by these routes".
They have therefore scheduled a protest march for Saturday and informed the government and the police of their decision.
“The government responded to the letter saying that there would be no withdrawal of the subsidy and, as there were no grounds for the march, if the protesters chose to march anyway, they would be committing the crime of disobedience,” reads a statement that Mudei published on the movement’s social media.
For Mudei, “what the provincial government seems not to know is that it is not up to it to legitimise the basis for the march, but rather to ensure that it takes place without incident”.
As the government did not respond within 24 hours of the letter being received and the law states that when no response is received within this period, it is understood that there is no objection, the march organisers intend to go ahead.
The Angolan government said on 7 July that there had been no removal of state subsidies on the Luanda-Cabinda air link, but only a change in the regulations that will result in a new fare.
Given the geographical isolation of the province of Cabinda from the rest of the country (the two are separated by part of DR Congo territory and the Congo River), the mobility of citizens to and from the province has been the subject of complaints, especially regarding air connections, which are often marked by flight cancellations and delays, which has led to criticism.
The average cost of a return flight from Luanda to Cabinda is around €320 and the flight takes less then one hour in each direction.
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