Mauritius reels from worst riots in decades after woman shot by police

Police in Mauritius imposed an overnight curfew overnight to quell the worst riots to break out on the Indian Ocean island in decades.

Key points

• Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the curfew on Tuesday, warning against those "acting against the interests of the country".
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• But the police assured individuals that by Wednesday morning traffic was again moving throughout the island and stated individuals should resume their normal activities.
• Protesters burned tyres and blocked ‌roads as the unrest escalated over the weekend, with police stations and other public infrastructure properties being vandalised.
• The mayhem prompted the closure of schools and public transport, with foreign embassies issuing alerts warning its nationals to be cautious.

Peaceful protests over water shortages and the high cost of living that began a week ago erupted into violence on Friday when a woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock.

In practice, the circumstances of the shooting are not clear, but the officer has since been arrested and remanded in custody.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the curfew on Tuesday, warning against those "acting against the interests of the country". It is a tourism and financial services hub.

"Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts, " he remarked in an address to the nation.

Notably, the mayhem prompted the closure of schools and public transport, with foreign embassies issuing alerts warning its nationals to be cautious.

Despite the curfew, police remarked there had been a number of incidents overnight and some arrests.

When protests over the shortage of water initially began, the administration had responded proactively by providing more water to households, according to Zoë McCathie, an analyst at South Africa-based Signal Risk.

In practice, the escalation had presented a more "unusual situation for the country's security situation", with the administration resorting to closing schools and imposing a curfew, she informed the BBC'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 remarked.

While the administration had managed to "curtail the worst of the unrest" there was still a possibility that protests could return in some areas, with water shortages anticipated to persist until the rainy season in December, she noted.

In practice, the cabinet is due to meet on Wednesday afternoon to reassess the situation and decide on the next steps. You may additionally be interested in.

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Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

Taken together, the developments around mauritius reels from worst riots in decades after woman shot by police point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.