Mauritius lifts curfew imposed amid wave of violent protests

Unrest on the archipelago came after police shot a woman during a rally over rising costs and water shortages.

Mauritius imposed a nighttime curfew last week after rare protests over water shortages and the cost of living [File: Ginaluigi Guercia/AFP]

Mauritius has lifted a nighttime curfew that was imposed last week amid a rare wave of violent demonstrations.

The government announced on Monday that the “favourable evolution of the situation” had allowed the end of the curfew. The protests on the Indian Ocean archipelago began last week over water shortages and the rising cost of living, but violence exploded after a police officer shot and seriously wounded a woman on Saturday.

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“The curfew currently in effect will not be extended, effective today,” the office of Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said in a statement.

“The last curfew ended at 4:30am on Monday 19 October, and it has not been extended. Roads are open, all schools have reopened with classes running as usual, and daily life is back on track,” the Mauritius Tours tourism operator confirmed on its website.

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The unrest saw at least 188 people arrested on charges including looting, arson, damage to police stations, and possession of explosives in the following days.

The police officer who shot the woman in the neck has been arrested and brought to court, authorities said.

The island nation of Mauritius is usually viewed as a model of stability and prosperity in Africa. The last major unrest was in 1999, when a renowned singer died in police custody.

However, the unrest provoked a British government update of its travel advice, which urged people travelling to the popular holiday destination to take care.

“The Government of Mauritius introduced temporary curfews during the evenings and overnight, covering most areas of the main island, which lasted from 12 October to 18 October, ending at 4.30am on Monday 19 October,” the British government said in a statement.

“Stay away from demonstrations and large public gatherings and follow the advice of local authorities,” it warned tourists.

群岛发生骚乱的起因是警方在一次抗议物价上涨和缺水的集会上枪杀了一名妇女。

毛里求斯上周因缺水和生活成本问题爆发罕见的抗议活动后，实施了夜间宵禁。[图片：Ginaluigi Guercia/法新社]

毛里求斯已解除上周因罕见的暴力示威活动而实施的夜间宵禁。

政府周一宣布，“局势的有利发展”使得宵禁得以结束。上周，印度洋群岛爆发了抗议活动，起因是缺水和生活成本上涨。但上周六，一名警察开枪打伤一名妇女，导致暴力事件升级。

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印度总理纳文·拉姆古兰办公室在一份声明中表示：“目前实施的宵禁措施将不再延长，自今日起生效。”

“最后一次宵禁于10月19日星期一凌晨4点30分结束，并未延长。道路已开放，所有学校已重新开放并照常上课，日常生活已恢复正常，”毛里求斯旅游运营商在其网站上确认道。

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骚乱发生后的几天里，至少有 188 人因抢劫、纵火、破坏警察局和持有爆炸物等罪名被捕。

当局称，开枪击中该女子颈部的警官已被逮捕并被带上法庭。

毛里求斯这个岛国通常被视为非洲稳定繁荣的典范。该国上一次发生重大动乱是在1999年，当时一位著名歌手在警方拘留期间死亡。

然而，这场骚乱促使英国政府更新了旅行建议，敦促前往这个热门度假胜地的人们注意安全。

英国政府在一份声明中表示：“毛里求斯政府在晚上和夜间实施临时宵禁，覆盖主岛的大部分地区，宵禁从10月12日持续到10月18日，于10月19日星期一凌晨4点30分结束。”

“远离示威游行和大型公共集会，并听从当地政府的建议，”该机构警告游客。