Mauritius Arrests 10 as Riots Damage Police Stations

MAURITIUS · UNREST

Mauritius is reeling from riots that struck several towns on Monday night. Police stations were attacked, and foreign missions closed as the authorities deployed paramilitary units.

Mauritius was hit by serious unrest on Monday night, as riots spread through towns near the capital. Crowds attacked police stations, torched vehicles and damaged a light-rail tram, forcing the island’s paramilitary force onto the streets.

The Mauritius riots followed the shooting of a woman by a police officer in Camp-le-Vieux, a suburb of Rose-Hill. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam summoned an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday as the authorities tried to restore calm.

What Sparked the Unrest

Tension had built since a woman was shot and wounded in Camp-le-Vieux, a district of Rose-Hill near the capital. Local media named her as Elodie Thomas, and reported that surgeons had removed a bullet from her neck.

A police sergeant, named in court as Gautam Taukoor, appeared before the Rose-Hill District Court over the shooting. The provisional charge against him was reclassified, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission has opened its own inquiry.

The case recalls 1999, when the death in custody of the singer Kaya triggered the island’s worst riots in decades. Several outlets, including News24, have described the latest violence as the most serious since that year.

How the Night Unfolded

The disorder erupted on Monday, 12 October, and spread across several areas, among them Bambous, Barkly, Beau-Bassin and Petite-Rivière. At Bambous the police station was ransacked, while at Barkly a station was badly damaged and vehicles were burned.

Crowds also threw stones at a Metro Express tram, breaking a window, and vandalised a McDonald’s outlet in Beau-Bassin. Ten people were arrested, two of them minors who were later released, and three police officers were injured.

Officials deployed the Special Mobile Force, the paramilitary wing of the police, to Bambous, Defi Media reported. The British and Australian high commissions closed on Tuesday, and bus services were set to stop early that evening.

A Nation on Edge

By Tuesday morning calm had returned to several districts, including Petite-Rivière and Résidence Richelieu. Residents of Camp-le-Vieux, led by Yannick Durhone, marched with placards calling for peace.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who returned to office in 2024, called an emergency Council of Ministers for Tuesday, 13 October. Opposition figures also urged restraint, with Nando Bodha appealing for unity and Adrien Duval calling for Parliament to be recalled.

Education authorities postponed school examinations for security reasons, affecting more than thirty-three thousand candidates. The Mauritius Examinations Syndicate said it was in talks with Cambridge over the disrupted papers.

What It Means for US Readers

Mauritius is a major tourist destination and one of Africa’s most stable financial centres, with strong ties to the United States. Unrest near the capital can unsettle travellers and the investors who route funds through the island into Africa and India.

The closure of the British and Australian missions is a signal that foreign governments are watching the situation closely. US visitors should expect possible disruption to transport and should follow official travel advice before any trip.

Mauritius hosts global business services and offshore funds, so prolonged instability could weigh on confidence. For now the disruption is local and short, but the political response will shape how markets read it.

What Is Not Known

No deaths have been confirmed, and no nationwide curfew has been announced by the government. Reports of bus services ending early point to transport limits rather than a formal curfew.

Officials have not formally declared a single cause for the unrest, though residents link it to the Camp-le-Vieux shooting. The claim that this is the worst violence since 1999 rests on media characterisation, not an official assessment.

The condition of the injured woman beyond her surgery, and the exact charge against the sergeant, remain unclear. The outcome of the emergency cabinet meeting had not been made public at the time of writing.

What Comes Next

Attention now turns to the emergency cabinet meeting and any security measures the government may announce. The IPCC inquiry and the court case against the sergeant will proceed in the coming days.

A return to calm does not resolve the underlying anger over policing and the shooting. Whether the unrest subsides will depend on the official response and the progress of the investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the riots in Mauritius happen?

The unrest struck several towns near the capital, including Bambous, Barkly and Beau-Bassin. Police stations were attacked and vehicles were burned on Monday night.

What triggered the unrest?

The violence followed the shooting of a woman by a police officer in Camp-le-Vieux. A police sergeant has appeared in court, and a complaints body has opened an inquiry.

Were there any deaths?

No deaths have been confirmed by the authorities so far. Ten people were arrested and three police officers were injured.

Is there a curfew in Mauritius?

No nationwide curfew has been announced by the government. Bus services were set to stop early, which is a transport limit rather than a curfew.

How does this compare with 1999?

In 1999 the death in custody of the singer Kaya set off the island’s worst riots in decades. Some outlets call the latest violence the most serious since then, though officials have not confirmed that.

Sources: Le Mauricien; Defi Media (all accessed 13 October 2026).