In brief
Over water shortages and escalating costs of living, protests turned violent in Mauritius, culminating when a woman was shot at a police roadblock. Police imposed an overnight curfew and the Prime Minister ordered a crackdown, arresting the officer involved. The unrest caused school closures, transport shutdowns, and led foreign embassies to issue safety alerts. While violence has eased, authorities warn that further protests may flare up as water supplies remain tight until the rainy season.
Police in Mauritius imposed an overnight curfew to quell the worst riots in decades.
Peaceful demonstrations over water shortages and the high cost of living escalated into violence when a woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock on Friday.
The officer responsible has been arrested and handed over to custody, but the shooting sparked further clashes, with protesters burning tyres, blocking roads and vandalising police stations.
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced the curfew on Tuesday, warning that anyone acting against the nation’s interests would face "very heavy consequences".
The crackdown saw schools and public transport shut down, and foreign embassies urged their nationals to be cautious. Several incidents and arrests were reported overnight, though police said traffic began moving again by Wednesday and urged people to resume normal activities.
Analyst Zoë McCathie of Signal Risk explained that government measures to increase water supplies were initially proactive, but the volatile situation required more drastic steps such as school closures and a curfew – actions that hadn’t been seen since around 1999.
McCathie warned that while the worst of the unrest has been curbed, the risk of future protests remains, especially as water shortages are expected to persist until December. The cabinet is set to meet on Wednesday afternoon to re‑assess the situation and determine next steps.
