Mauritius imposes curfew after night of unrest over police shooting

Mauritius has announced a curfew in parts of the country after the shooting of a woman by a police officer prompted public unrest overnight.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said the curfew would take effect from 8:30pm local time (16:30 GMT) and last until 6am (02:00 GMT) in an address to the nation on Tuesday.

Some schools were closed on Tuesday on the Indian Ocean island due to the turmoil, according to the Education Ministry.

The curfew affects the capital Port Louis and major population centres on the popular island tourist destination, where public unrest is uncommon.

Local media reported that a police sergeant was charged in connection with the shooting of 27-year-old Elodie Thomas but did not provide details on what led to the incident.

Thomas was wounded in the south of the country’s capital while travelling home from work in a van. The Health Ministry said Thomas underwent a successful surgery to remove a bullet.

On Monday, protestors burned tyres and blocked roads in response to the shooting, which led to police deployments. The prime minister’s office said the situation had returned to normal and the public sector would operate as usual following unrest overnight.

According to the Reuters news agency, Mauritian police said an investigation into the incident is currently underway. Ramgoolam’s cabinet is reportedly set to meet on Wednesday to assess the situation.