Mauritius lifts nighttime curfew after violent cost of living protests ease

Mauritius has lifted a nighttime curfew imposed last week following a rare wave of violent protests, Al Jazeera reported. The office of Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that the measure would end due to a favorable evolution of the situation. [1]

According to Al Jazeera, demonstrations on the Indian Ocean island nation began last week over water shortages and the rising cost of living. Violence exploded on Saturday after a police officer shot and seriously wounded a woman during a rally. [1]

Mauritius is an Indian Ocean archipelago that transformed from a sugar dependent economy into a diversified upper middle income nation. Key economic sectors include tourism, financial services, information technology, manufacturing, and fisheries. [1][3]

The lifting of the curfew in Mauritius comes amid broader international unrest regarding living expenses. As FTMQ News reported earlier, trade unions and housing groups in Portugal and France have also recently held large scale demonstrations over rising costs. [1][4]