Curfew imposed, security tightened in Mauritius as protests intensify over police shooting a woman protester

In a significant development, Mauritius on Thursday imposed curfew for two more nights and tightened security after days of unrest sparked by police shooting a woman who was taking part in protests over water shortages and the cost of living. The protests started last week and intensified on Friday after a police officer shot and wounded a 27-year-old woman in Camp Levieux, a densely populated residential neighbourhood about 15 km south of the capital, Port Louis.

Officer was arrested and taken into custody

The officer was arrested and taken into custody as police investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The unrest prompted an initial curfew, running from 8:30 pm Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday.

Notably, the curfew, which was announced after a special Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, restricted movement in designated areas of the Indian Ocean island from 8:30 pm until 5 am the following morning on Wednesday and Thursday nights until it ends on Friday morning.

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, cited a police report saying 94 people had been arrested through Tuesday, including 16 minors and one police officer. Police reported 26 arrests during Wednesday night’s operations and said all roads were clear of obstructions Thursday morning.

Police set to increase deployments in areas affected by violence

Police are set to increase deployments, particularly in areas affected by violence, and reinforce roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints, according to the executive. “Police will step up measures and will act firmly, as appropriate, to contain further escalation of violence,” its statement said.

In the meantime, the Cabinet said those arrested could face charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act where applicable. Authorities also established a process to fast-track cases after consulting judicial and law enforcement officials.

Protests reflect anger over water shortages and rising costs

It is significant to note that the protests reflect anger over water shortages and rising costs. On Oct. 8, the government reported that reservoirs were at 57.1 per cent capacity, down from 87.4 per cent a year earlier, with Mare aux Vacoas at 35.7 per cent. Emergency measures announced include drilling boreholes and deploying water tankers. Moreover, the Statistics Mauritius reported that annual inflation rose to 4.1 per cent in September, up from 3.4 per cent a year earlier, partly due to higher petrol and food prices.

With inputs from AP

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