Mauritius Lifts Curfew After Worst Unrest Since 1999

By GlobalDeskNews Staff | October 14, 2026

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius — Mauritius lifted an overnight curfew on Wednesday morning as the usually tranquil Indian Ocean island grappled with its worst rioting and looting since 1999. Police said the situation was under control after a curfew that ran from Tuesday evening until 6 a.m. local time, though officers reported fresh overnight incidents and "several arrests," according to Bloomberg.

Announced by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam in a televised address on Tuesday, the curfew covered roughly a third of the island — 10 administrative regions including the capital Port Louis and other major population centres — from 8:30 p.m. local time until Wednesday morning. On the popular tourist and offshore finance destination, where public unrest is rare, the measures were extraordinary.

How the unrest unfolded

The unrest, which began last week over water shortages and the rising cost of living, intensified after a woman was shot and injured by police on October 9, Bloomberg reported. On Monday night, protesters burned tyres, blocked roads and — in what Bloomberg described as the island's worst rioting and looting since 1999 — looted shops, including two supermarkets, and attacked police stations, injuring several officers, according to AFP.

The shooting victim, 27-year-old Elodie Thomas, was wounded in the south of the country's capital while travelling home from work in a van, Al Jazeera reported. The Health Ministry said Thomas underwent a successful surgery to remove a bullet. Local media reported that a police sergeant was charged, though what led to the shooting has not been released. Witnesses cited by AFP said the officer fired without warning, hitting her in the neck; a team of Indian surgeons was dispatched to Mauritius to help save her.

Demonstrators had been using burning tyres to block roads even before the shooting, AFP reported — the officer's gunfire poured fuel on protests that were already smouldering.

A curfew imposed, a hard line drawn

Announcing the curfew on Tuesday, Ramgoolam took an uncompromising tone. "My message is clear and uncompromising: we will identify the instigators and all those who are acting against the interests of the country, and they will be held to account," the prime minister said. "Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts."

Schools were closed on Tuesday on the education ministry's orders, Al Jazeera reported, and remained closed for a second day on Wednesday, with the exception of students taking international examinations, according to Bloomberg. An AFP correspondent observed no outbreaks of violence after the curfew began on Tuesday evening — though the police's Wednesday statement noted overnight incidents and arrests.

Why it matters

Mauritius has long been seen as a model of prosperity and stability — a favorite with tourists for its pristine beaches and a growing financial-services hub. Since independence from the United Kingdom in 1968, the island has shifted an economy once centred on sugar toward tourism, textiles and finance, briefly reaching high-income status in 2020 before Covid hit, AFP reported.

That reputation is exactly what's at stake. The British embassy in Mauritius warned its nationals there may be further protests and advised them to "avoid demonstrations and large public gatherings," while the French embassy also asked the French community to "exercise caution," AFP reported. The main private-sector lobby, Business Mauritius, recommended members resume normal activities while taking security conditions in each area into account, Bloomberg reported — banks and the stock market were resuming operations.

For an economy built on visitors and investors, days of burning tyres and looted supermarkets carry a cost that outlasts a single curfew night.

What happens next

Ramgoolam's cabinet was set to meet on Wednesday to assess the situation and determine whether further action is needed, Bloomberg reported. The police statement on Wednesday said units had responded promptly to the overnight incidents and that several arrests had already been made — signalling the government expects to keep a visible security presence even as the curfew lifts.

Several questions remain unanswered: what exactly led to the shooting of Elodie Thomas, whether more protests will follow the curfew's end, and how quickly normal life — and tourist confidence — returns. The prime minister condemned the violence as unacceptable while also condemning the shooting itself, and a formal investigation into the officer's actions is underway.

Key Takeaways

• Mauritius imposed a Tuesday-evening-to-Wednesday-morning curfew over roughly a third of the island after its worst rioting and looting since 1999.
• The unrest intensified after police shot and seriously wounded 27-year-old Elodie Thomas on October 9; a police sergeant has been charged, local media reported.
• Police said Wednesday the situation was under control, with several arrests made overnight.
• Protests over water shortages and the rising cost of living had begun before the shooting.
• Schools closed for a second day; the British and French embassies issued caution notices to their nationals.
• The cabinet was set to meet Wednesday to decide whether further action is needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Al Jazeera — "Mauritius imposes curfew after night of unrest over police shooting" (Oct 13, 2026)
• Bloomberg via Moneyweb — "Mauritius says situation is under control after days of unrest" (Oct 14, 2026)
• AFP via IOL — "Mauritius rocked by unrest as curfew follows police shooting" (Oct 14, 2026)

Related on GlobalDeskNews: PTI Protesters Hit by Live Rounds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · Turkey Seizes Opposition Channel Halk TV in Police Raid