2019 has been a year filled with happy events for Mauritius, and victories for some. Mauritian athletes of the IOIG/JIOI, the Prime Minister of the island and the Chagossians would not disagree. Let’s talk about some key events of the year.
The Indian Ocean Islands Game (IOIG) or Jeux des Iles de l’Océan Indien (JIOI)
The 10th session of the game was held in Mauritius as from the 19th to the 28th of July of this year. The event was even more special because of the construction of a modern sports complex in Côte d’Or, in the East of the country, in order to allow the games to take place within proper infrastructures.
A lot of Mauritians and foreigners went to attend the competition. The end was happy for the island; its athletes won some 92 gold medals, thus winning the IOIG for the very first time ever since they were organised.
The visit of the Pope François
Mauritius has welcomed the Pope François on the 9th of September last. A mass and a homily were performed at the Marie Reine de la Paix, in Port Louis. After a lunch during which typical Mauritian cuisine was served to him, the Pope stayed some time at the Caveau du Père Laval in Sainte Croix, where he even interacted with some devotees. His visit came to an end at the State House, in Réduit, following which he boarded a flight to Antananarivo. There was of course heavy national security force presence during the brief stay of the Pope François.
The soft launch of the Metro Express
On the 3rd of October last, the light rail transit made its first symbolic trip. Driven by a Mauritian, the first train, bearing the name Mauricio, left the maintenance depot in Richelieu to reach Rose Hill.
The Metro Express is an ambitious project which aims at reducing traffic jams on the island, by connecting the capital, Port Louis to the town of Curepipe through 19 stations. The construction of the whole track, allocated to the Indian firm Larsen & Toubro, should be completed in 2021.
The General Elections
After a five-year mandate, the Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM) returned to power following the general elections of the 7th of November 2019. Pravind Jugnauth, who was the Prime Minister, resumed his seat.
The parties competing for power held “meetings” (gatherings) some weeks prior to the elections, as is the tradition in Mauritius. Supporters paraded in vehicles, waving flags bearing the colours of the different parties and blowing in vuvuzelas, throughout the streets of the capital and in other regions of the island.
The inclusion of the “séga tambour” of Chagos in the UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list
The prestigious place was granted during the 14th edition of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The “séga tambour” relates the story of African slaves who came to work in the Chagos during the 18th century, through a typically creole genre of music and singing.
Chagossians as well as the Mauritian delegation who flew to Bogota, in Columbia for the committee, in order to advocate for the “séga tambour”, feel immensely proud. The delegation was composed of the Mauritian Minister of Arts and Culture, Avinash Teeluck, members of his ministry, as well as the leader of the Groupe Réfugiés Chagos (GRC), Olivier Bancoult.
Following such a fruitful year for Mauritius, we can only wish the island the very best for the year 2020.