Mauritius reels from worst riots in decades after woman shot by police
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam imposed a curfew after days of unrest that first began over water shortages.
Key points
- Mauritius imposed an overnight curfew after protests over water shortages and living costs turned violent.
- A woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock on Friday; the officer was arrested.
- Schools and public transport closed, and foreign embassies warned their nationals to be cautious.
Police in Mauritius imposed an overnight curfew to quell the worst riots the Indian Ocean island has seen in decades. Peaceful protests over water shortages and the high cost of living, which began a week earlier, turned violent on Friday when a woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock.
The circumstances of the shooting are unclear, but the officer has been arrested and remanded in custody. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the curfew on Tuesday, warning against those acting against the country's interests.
Unrest and government response
Protesters burned tyres and blocked roads as the unrest escalated over the weekend, with police stations and other public infrastructure vandalised. The mayhem led to the closure of schools and public transport, and foreign embassies issued alerts warning their nationals to be cautious.
Despite the curfew, police said there were several incidents overnight and some arrests. By Wednesday morning, police said traffic was moving again across the island and people should resume normal activities. The cabinet is due to meet on Wednesday afternoon to reassess the situation.
Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts
— Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam
Analyst view on escalation
Zoë McCathie, an analyst at South Africa-based Signal Risk, told the BBC's Newsday programme that the government initially responded proactively by providing more water to households. She said the escalation presented an unusual situation for the country's security, with the government resorting to closing schools and imposing a curfew.
McCathie said protests of this scale have not been seen since around 1999, calling the government's response logical and necessary. She added that while the government had managed to curtail the worst of the unrest, protests could return in some areas, with water shortages expected to persist until the rainy season in December.
