Archbishop of Luanda Urges Action After 24 Road Deaths in One Week

Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias, head of the Archdiocese of Luanda in Angola's capital, called for urgent and coordinated measures to reduce the number of traffic deaths in the country after a series of crashes that left at least 24 people dead and many injured in one week. At a press conference on Monday, August 10, 2026, the archbishop said traffic laws must be enforced more firmly, drivers must behave responsibly and public authorities must act to prevent crashes on a continuing basis.

"The daily tragedy we live through on our roads demands a determined moral, civic and structural response from every citizen of our country," Dias said. He referred to a fatal crash involving a fuel transport vehicle in Sumbe, saying that "strict application of traffic rules is indispensable to prevent serious accidents such as the tragedy that occurred in Sumbe."

Dias named excessive speed and drunk driving as the main forms of irresponsible conduct behind the crashes. "Irresponsible conduct behind the wheel shows itself through excessive speed and the consumption of alcoholic drinks while driving," he said. He also criticized transport companies that do not ensure drivers take mandatory rest periods on long trips, saying fatigue raises the risk of serious crashes.

"The fundamental priority in road safety must focus on the moral and civic formation of public and private transport drivers," Dias said. He called on authorities to exercise "strict control over the issuing of driver's licenses," including assessment of the "ethical profile of applicants."

Control of motorcycle taxis and prevention

Dias asked for closer supervision of motorcycle taxis, acknowledging the service they provide but saying more discipline is needed on the roads. "Although motorcycle taxis offer an important service to the population, it is urgent to regulate and strictly discipline their movement on the roads," he said.

Describing the rising number of road deaths as a humanitarian concern, Dias said preventive measures must go beyond responding to individual tragedies after they happen. "The humanitarian impact of the tragic record of deaths in the region places Angola in an alarming situation, which requires permanent preventive action by the competent authorities," he said. "Life is a sacred gift, and we cannot limit ourselves to weeping after accidents occur."

Crashes recorded in the previous week

His appeal followed a series of crashes in Angola between August 3 and August 9. On August 3, a collision between a bus and a three-wheeled motorcycle carrying fuel caused a fire that killed 22 people, including drivers and passengers, some of whom were left unrecognizable. Twelve survivors with serious injuries were evacuated to the President Julius Nyerere Specialized Burns Hospital in Luanda.

Five days later, a head-on collision followed by a fire in Bengo province left two people dead and three seriously injured, who were admitted to Bucula Hospital. On August 9, a bus traveling in Cabo Ledo, in Icolo e Bengo province, ran off the road and overturned, seriously injuring 30 people, including eight children, seven of them in critical condition.