Mauritius Says Island Is Calm After Worst Unrest Since 1999, Curfew Extended

Mauritius was calm on Thursday after days of protests and rioting that brought the worst unrest the island has seen since 1999. The police force said every road on the island is passable and clear of obstructions, that officers made more arrests overnight, and that work and other activities can resume as normal after the curfew is lifted.

The government had extended the overnight curfew for two more nights on Wednesday. The curfew covers the capital, Port Louis, and the main urban areas, and it followed rioting and looting that spread on Monday. Schools have stayed shut while the orders remain in place.

How the unrest started

The protests began last week over water shortages and the cost of living. They turned angry after a police officer shot and wounded a woman at a roadblock on Friday, October 9, near Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, southwest of Port Louis. The woman was taken to hospital. Police said one officer has been arrested and remanded in custody over the shooting, and three others were suspended for failing to help a person whose life was in danger. Prosecutors said the inquiry should also cover the paramilitary officers who were at the scene.

On Monday, October 12, the island saw its worst rioting and looting since 1999. Protesters clashed with police, blocked roads with burning tyres and other debris, and damaged public buildings. Video published by a local outlet showed people firing what looked like fireworks at officers. The paramilitary Special Mobile Force was called out to restore order.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the first overnight curfew, from 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday to 6 a.m. on Wednesday, across the main urban areas. He condemned the shooting and called the violent reaction unacceptable, and he warned that people who took part in violence and destruction faced heavy consequences.

A slow return to normal

Police said the situation was under control after the first curfew lifted on Wednesday morning, though some incidents were reported overnight and more arrests followed. The cabinet met on Wednesday to weigh further steps, and the government then extended the curfew for two more nights, Wednesday and Thursday.

Schools stayed closed for a second day on Wednesday, apart from students sitting international examinations, and local reports said they would stay shut for the rest of the week. Business Mauritius, the main private sector group, advised members to resume normal activities while keeping an eye on security conditions in their own area.

Jervin Naidoo, a senior political economist at Oxford Economics, told Bloomberg the unrest looked like a temporary disruption rather than a lasting break in the country's investment outlook. He said the protests still point to growing social and economic pressures that the government needs to address if it wants to protect the island's stability and its appeal to investors.

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island known for beach resorts and financial services, is often counted among the most stable democracies in Africa. Its last unrest on this scale came in 1999, when the death of a popular musician in police custody set off days of rioting.