Hello and welcome to this issue of our newsletter. Every week, Ariel and Khalil, writers based in Mauritius, investigate the impact the oil spill is having on the country and its people, politics and nature.
It’s the Instagram account that everyone’s talking about.
The #MeToo movement in Mauritius started well before the Wakashio disaster, but it seems that the oil spill and the protests that followed have bolstered the spirit of dissent across the country.
Around a hundred people have taken to the @metoomru instagram page and shared their stories of sexual harassment and abuse. All the reports are anonymous. Some of the predators are easily recognisable: five stories to date share the experiences of young journalists with a notorious newspaper editor, who routinely harasses and belittles the women working for the press. Despite this, he remains employed.
A key protest chant comes to mind: bour li dehor! (“Throw him the f- out!”)
I wrote about sexual harassment and abuse in Mauritius a year ago for the LA Review of Books, if ever you’re interested.
Image taken from @metoomru
In this issue
Non-profit putting donations to excellent use
One theory of the Wakashio crash is shot down
Request to protest, please
The latest
⚫ Here’s how Eco-Sud is using the crowdfunding money
The Eco-Sud organisation received about 21 million Mauritian rupees (about 527K USD) from crowdfunding initiatives after the oil spill. It has set a clear programme of action to tackle the aftershocks of the spill, from cleaning and restoring the coast to caring for the region’s inhabitants. It is currently moving from village to village, offering medical consultations and assistance to people affected by the disaster. GPs, dermatologists and psychologists are all involved.
More: Défimedia has an interview with the NGO here.
⚫ The crew all had internet connection onboard the Wakashio
Do you remember the story of how the captain had supposedly steered closer to the reef to get a better Wi-Fi signal?
Well that’s been flagged as total bull. A statement from Mitsui OSK Lines, the shipping company, to Forbes stated that all the crew on their vessels have access to unlimited, free satellite internet on board and at sea.
Which begs the question: why was this offered as a potential explanation in the first place by the Panama Maritime Authority?
More: Read Forbes’ story here.
⚫ Authorities are denying requests to protest
If you want to protest in peace, with the full cooperation of the authorities, you need to request permission to do so in Mauritius.
Two weeks ago, the social activist and maritime security expert Bruneau Laurette sought permission to organise two protests to be held in early November. Both were denied. We’re wondering what’s going to happen next.
That’s it from me. I’m constantly surprised by the ways in which Mauritius is changing in response to the spill and its aftermath. As much as the government’s authoritarian turn is terrifying, the protests and movements that have followed give me such intense hope for our future. - Ariel.
Correction: the @metoomru Instagram page was not created this week as previously stated. It was created over a month ago.