Mauritius Police Imposes Curfew as Protests Over Water Shortages Turn Violent

Police in Mauritius have imposed an overnight curfew following violent protests over water shortages and the rising cost of living, in the island nation’s worst unrest in decades.

The demonstrations which began peacefully about a week ago escalated on Friday after a woman was shot and injured by police at a roadblock. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear, but the officer involved has been arrested and remanded in custody.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the curfew on Tuesday warning that those responsible for the violence would face severe consequences.

Protesters reportedly burned tyres, blocked roads and vandalised police stations and other public infrastructure over the weekend, prompting the closure of schools and public transport services. Foreign embassies also issued safety warnings to their citizens.

Despite the curfew, police reported several incidents and arrests overnight but said traffic had resumed across the island by Wednesday morning, urging residents to return to their normal activities.

According to Zoë McCathie, an analyst at South Africa-based Signal Risk, the government initially responded to the water shortages by increasing water supplies to households. However, the protests escalated into an unusual security challenge.

McCathie told the BBC’s Newsday programme that unrest on such a scale had not been witnessed in Mauritius since around 1999.

Although authorities had managed to contain the worst of the violence, she warned that further protests remained possible, as water shortages were expected to continue until the rainy season in December.

The Mauritian Cabinet is expected to meet on Wednesday afternoon to assess the situation and determine the government’s next steps.