Mauritius: Curfew extended until October 19 following riots sparked by water shortages

Mauritius is living under a nightly curfew until 4:30 a.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026, following a week of violence triggered by water cuts and the shooting of a young woman by a police officer. The measure, in effect from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., has been extended for the nights of October 16, 17, and 18, reports the Réunion-based site Zinfos974.

A 27-year-old cashier shot in the jaw

Everything started in Camp-Levieux, a locality near Rose-Hill. On the night of October 8 to 9, 2026, residents protested against water shortages: seven people were arrested. On the evening of October 9, Élodie Thomas, a 27-year-old part-time cashier and mother of a two-year-old girl, was returning from work in a van when a shot was fired. Struck in the jaw, she was admitted to intensive care at Victoria Hospital in Candos with cerebral edema, according to the Mauritian daily Défi Media. Four doctors from India operated on her in Mauritius on October 12.

A police sergeant was arrested and appeared before the Weekend Court on Saturday, October 10, on a provisional charge of possession of a firearm with the intent to endanger life; the police opposed his release on bail, writes Défi Media. The investigation is ongoing, and he benefits from the presumption of innocence. The van driver, Rudy Soobrayen, claims that a police officer held a gun to his temple; the police, for their part, state that the vehicle was traveling on an obstructed road. Former Attorney General Rama Valayden is calling for the charge to be reclassified as attempted murder.

Schools closed, metro suspended

Starting October 12, businesses were targeted and police officers were injured. Schools and daycare centers closed, exams were postponed, the Metro Express was suspended, and public transport was halted from 6 p.m., according to the daily Midi Madagasikara. A report published on October 16 by L'Express of Port-Louis notes 151 arrests and significant material damage; the police report presented to the Council of Ministers recorded 94 arrests as of October 13, including 16 minors.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who promised that there would be no cover-up and canceled a trip to Rodrigues, accuses drug barons of having financed the unrest and using children. His government is considering prosecuting the perpetrators of the violence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, reports L'Express. Midi Madagasikara recalls the riots of February 1999, which were born from the death of singer Kaya while in police custody.

On an island often cited as a model of stability in Africa, the initial cause remains unresolved: dry taps. Access to water and the control of the use of force by the police are two rights, not two minor news items.