Mauritius news turned overnight when Navin Ramgoolam ordered a curfew after unrest tied to water shortages and the high cost of living escalated into the worst riots in decades. Police in Mauritius said the overnight measure was meant to quell violence that followed a police shooting and spread across the island.
One woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock on Friday, and the circumstances of the shooting were not clear. The officer involved was arrested and remanded in custody, while Ramgoolam warned in an address to the nation: "Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts".
Friday shooting in Mauritius
Peaceful protests had begun a week before the unrest escalated, driven by water shortages and the high cost of living. Over the weekend, protesters burned tyres and blocked roads, and police stations and other public infrastructure properties were vandalised.
Schools and public transport were closed because of the unrest. Foreign embassies issued alerts warning their nationals to be cautious, adding pressure on residents trying to move through the island while the curfew was in force.
Tuesday curfew and overnight arrests
Zoë McCathie, an analyst at Signal Risk, said on the 's Newsday programme: "Protests to this scale and to this extent haven't been seen… since around 1999. So the government's response to this in that case is logical and is necessary". She also said water shortages were expected to persist until the rainy season in December.
Police said there had been several incidents overnight despite the curfew, and they said some arrests were made overnight. By Wednesday morning, traffic was moving again throughout Mauritius, even as the emergency response remained in place.
By Wednesday morning
The cabinet was due to meet on Wednesday afternoon to reassess the situation and decide on the next steps. For residents, the immediate issue is whether the curfew and closures hold while the unrest settles, and whether the next round of decisions changes access to roads, schools, and transport across the island.
