Mauritius imposes curfew after night of unrest over police shooting
Protesters block roads and burn tyres in response to a police shooting of a 27-year-old woman.
Key points
- Mauritius imposed a curfew after a police shooting of a woman sparked unrest.
- The curfew runs from 8:30pm to 6am in Port Louis and major population centres.
- A police sergeant was charged over the shooting of 27-year-old Elodie Thomas.
Mauritius has imposed a curfew in parts of the country after a police officer shot a woman, prompting unrest overnight. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said in a national address on Tuesday that the curfew would run from 8:30pm local time (16:30 GMT) until 6am (02:00 GMT).
The curfew covers the capital Port Louis and major population centres on the Indian Ocean island, a popular tourist destination where public unrest is uncommon. The Education Ministry said some schools closed on Tuesday because of the turmoil.
What happened
Local media reported that a police sergeant was charged in connection with the shooting of 27-year-old Elodie Thomas, without giving details on what led to the incident. Thomas was wounded in the south of the capital while travelling home from work in a van.
The Health Ministry said Thomas had successful surgery to remove a bullet. On Monday, protesters burned tyres and blocked roads in response to the shooting, leading to police deployments.
the situation had returned to normal
— the prime minister's office
Official response
The prime minister's office said the situation had returned to normal and the public sector would operate as usual after the overnight unrest. According to the Reuters news agency, Mauritian police said an investigation is underway.
Ramgoolam's cabinet is reportedly set to meet on Wednesday to assess the situation.
