Overview
Mauritius is a tiny island nation in the Indian Ocean, located more than 600 miles east of Africa. Once controlled by the French and British, Mauritius has lived a relatively quiet existence since gaining independence in the 1960s. At the time of its newfound freedom, Britain maintained control of the Chagos Archipelago which had been part of Mauritius. The archipelago included the island of Diego Garcia, which the British leased to the United States. During the Cold War, the US Navy established a naval base on Diego Garcia, turning it into a strategic hub for the US warships and long-range bombers. Since the 1980s Mauritius has sought the return of the archipelago to Mauritian control, with no success. The US, meanwhile, has not only maintained its naval and air force presence on Diego Garcia, but also used the base as one of the CIA’s secret prisons for hiding suspected terrorists.
Basic Information
Lay of the Land: The Republic of Mauritius consists of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius and a few smaller islands situated about 600 miles east of Madagascar.
Population: 1.3 million
Religions: Hindu 43.9%, Christian 32.6%, Muslim 16.8%, Baha'i 1.9%, Chinese Universalist 1.3%, Buddhist 0.2%, Ethnoreligious 0.2%, Sikh 0.2%, non-religious 2.5%.
Ethnic Groups: Indo-Mauritian 685, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%.
Languages: Morisyen 50.0%, Bhojpuri 28.0%, Urdu 5.3%, French (official) 3.1%, Tamil 2.6%, English (official) 0.3%.
History
Portuguese sailors were the first known European visitors to Mauritius, in the 16th century. The island was occupied by the Dutch from 1598 to 1710 and named after Prince Maurice of Nassau. The French settled the island in 1722 and called it Île de France. It became an important way station on the route to India.
The French introduced the cultivation of sugarcane and imported large numbers of African slaves to work the plantations. The British captured the island in 1810 and restored the Dutch name. After the abolition of slavery in 1835, indentured laborers were brought from India, whose descendants eventually became the majority of the population today.
Politics on Mauritius was dominated by the French and creoles until the 1947 constitution gave Indians political power. Indian leaders in the 1950s and 1960s favored independence, while the French and creoles wanted continuing association with Britain, fearing domination by the Hindu Indian majority. In 1965, Britain separated the strategic Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius (although the country’s government continues to claim the islands and has sought their return).
The 1967 election gave a majority in the assembly to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam’s pro-independence Labor Party. Independence was granted in 1968, and Ramgoolam became the first prime minister. Mauritius soon joined the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations.
In 1982 the left-wing Mauritius Militant Movement (MMM) came to power, and Anerood Jugnauth became prime minister. The following year a split in the MMM led Jugnauth to form the Mauritius Socialist Movement (MSM). Jugnauth went on to head a series of coalition governments. In 1992, Mauritius became a republic, with Cassam Uteem as its first president.
In 1995, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, son of the former prime minister, and a Labor-led coalition came to power after defeating Jugnauth in a landslide. But in September 2000, Jugnauth and an MSM-MMM coalition returned to power in a similar landslide. President Uteem resigned in 2002 and was succeeded by Karl Offmann. In Sept., 2003, Jugnauth resigned and his MMM coalition partner, Paul Bérenger, became prime minister. Bérenger became the first person not of Indian descent to hold the post. The following month Offman was succeeded as president by Jugnauth. In the July 2005 National Assembly elections, Ramgoolam’s Labor-led Social Alliance won a majority of the seats, leading to Ramgoolam becoming prime minister. They were returned to power in electioms on May 5, 2010, winning 41 of 60 seats.
Country Studies (Library of Congress)
Mauritius (University of Colorado Libraries)
Mauritius (Columbia University Libraries African Studies)
History of Mauritius (Wikipedia)
History of U.S. Relations with Mauritius
Official US representation in Mauritius dates from the end of the 18th century. An American consulate established in 1794 closed in 1911. It was reopened in 1967 and elevated to embassy status upon the country’s independence in 1968.
Political relations between the United States and Mauritius have centered largely around the question of sovereignty over Diego Garcia Island, a British possession that is the site of a key American naval base. Mauritius ceded control over the Chagos Archipelago (including Diego Garcia) to Britain in exchange for 3 million pounds sterling in 1965. Despite UN objections to British control of the islands, Britain leased Diego Garcia to the United States in 1966 for fifty years.
During the Cold War the US established a major military base on the island, including anchorage facilities for large numbers of ships, an airfield capable of handling B-52s, and a satellite communications facility. Since the 1980s Mauritian governments have called for the island’s return to Mauritian sovereignty.
Diego Garcia "Camp Justice" 7º20'S 72º25'E (Global Security.org)
Current U.S. Relations with Mauritius
Relations between the United States and Mauritius largely revolve around trade. The United States is Mauritius’ third-largest market, but ranks 12th in terms of exports to Mauritius. The governments of Mauritius and the United States signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in September 2006. In August 2009, the US and Mauitius began negotiating a Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Aside from trade, the US supports and funds a military assistance program in Mauritius, and oversees funding for community organizations and NGOs. A democracy and human rights fund has also been set up.
A total of 5,239 Americans visited Mauritius in 2006, an increase of 6.8% from the 4,890 that visited in 2005. The trend has been one of growth, with consistent annual increases since 2002 when 4,116 Americans visited the islands.
In 2006, 1,458 Mauritians visited the US, 17.1% more than the 1,245 visitors in 2005. Between 2002 and 2004, the number of visitors remained constant at around 800 per year.
Where Does the Money Flow
The US imported a total of $168.9 million worth of goods in 2009 from Mauritius, and exported a total of $70 million, creating a trade deficit of $98.8 million. Exports from the US include aircraft parts (most for Air Mauritius), data processing machines, diamonds, jewelry, agricultural machines, and industrial chemicals. Imports to the US include clothing, sugar, jewelry, animals, and rum.
The largest US imports from Mauritius include fish and shellfish, up from $13.4 million in 2008 to $22.9 million in 2009. Apparel and household goods imports are also on the rise after a brief decline. Imports in this category totaled $152.7 million in 2005, declined to $98.9 million in 2008, grew to $99.2 million in 2009.
The largest US export is natural gas, which rose from $0 in 2008 to $20.9 million in 2009. Exports of aircraft parts were the second highest risers from $1.2 million in 2008 to $18.7 million in 2009. Other products have also gone up significantly in exports from 2008 to 2009., including telecommunications equipment exports from $835,000 in 2008 to $2.2 million in 2009.
Congress requested a total of $150,000 for foreign assistance for Mauritius for 2011. $150,000 was requested for international military education and training, which is the same amount as 2010. While $150,000 was requested for development assistance in 2010, $0 was requested for that category in 2011.
Mauritius is often called upon to support neighboring countries during emergencies. Congress has said that security operations training will ensure that Mauritius can continue to assist these countries.
More than 200 US companies are represented in Mauritius. About 30 have offices in the country, serving the information technology, textile, fast food, express courier, and financial services sectors. The largest American subsidiaries are Caltex Oil Mauritius and Esso Mauritius. US brands are sold widely. Several US franchises, notably Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s, have been operating for a number of years in Mauritius.
Controversies
Mauritius-claimed Island Host to CIA Secret Prison
Diego Garcia, an island once part of Mauritius and still claimed by the island nation despite Britain’s control, was reportedly the host of a secret CIA prison for suspected terrorists. The US has leased the island for its strategic naval base on Diego Garcia since the 1960s. Allegations that the CIA held al-Qaeda suspects for interrogation at the naval base surfaced in 2007 in the British press. A British foreign affairs committee was set to examine long-standing suspicions that the American spy agency had operated one of its so-called “black site” prisons on Diego Garcia, where detainees were allegedly tortured.
Stafford Smith, director for the human rights group Reprieve, has stated that up to a thousand detainees may have been held at the island in recent years. An anonymous source who frequented White House Situation Room meetings, told Time magazine that “high-value” prisoners were held on the island, and that prisoners may have been kept on ships near Diego Garcia.
David Miliband, the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on the other hand, had denied these claims, but did acknowledge in February 2008 that two detainees were held on the island in 2002.
Claims of secret CIA jail for terror suspects on British island to be investigated (by Ian Cobain and Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian)
US Ambassador Blows Off Mauritian Inauguration
In 2003 the United States’ top diplomat to Mauritius angered many in the island nation when he decided to skip two important events. John Price, who served as US Ambassador from 2002-2005 after becoming one of the largest donors to the GOP and President George W. Bush, skipped the inauguration of the country’s new president after creating another misunderstanding when he left early from a ceremony celebrating the prophet Muhammad’s birthday. (Price garnered further bad press when the Utah Supreme Court upheld a judgment that Price’s Fairfax Realty Inc. owed more than $8 million in penalties and fees for cheating two former business partners in a shopping mall deal). Following Price’s diplomatic blunders, Mauritius’ largest newspaper, Le Mauricien, wrote that if Price “were to decide on returning to Mauritius, we can only hope that he would be decent enough to avoid showing his face at the next happening staged by our Good Governance Commission.”
Largest Mauritius paper calls for resignation of Utahn Price (by Lee Davidson, Salt Lake City Deseret News)
Human Rights
The State Department reported that in 2009 the Mauritian government generally maintained a solid human rights record. Problems that did occur involved police abuse of suspects and detainees; allegations of corruption in the police force; prison overcrowding; violence and discrimination against women; abuse of children; children in prostitution and child labor; some restrictions on workers in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
In June 2007 four officers of the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) were charged in the case of Rajesh Ramlogun who died while in police custody. An autopsy revealed “intracranial hemorrhage of a traumatic nature.” The medical office confirmed that the hemorrhage was caused by a violent blow to the head, and the deputy commissioner of police reported that the cause of death included violent actions by the MCIT. On May 29, 2009, however, these officers were exonerated for lack of evidence.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) received 45 physical and verbal abuse complaints against police officers, of which 15 were withdrawn or dismissed for lack of substantiation; three additional cases were dismissed because legal procedures were already underway; two cases were referred to the appropriate authorities for follow up; and 25 cases remained under investigation.
Overcrowding in prisons has been a problem. The Central prison held 1,281 prisoners at the end of 2009, even though the jail only had capacity for 946 prisoners. Unlike in previous years, no reports of prison guards torturing prisoners were made.
There was widespread public perception of corruption in the legislative and executive branches.
Domestic violence against women, particularly spousal abuse, was a major problem. Many victims chose not to report or prosecute their attacker, presumably due to cultural pressures.
Child prostitution was a problem, and the government targeted the practice as a law enforcement and prevention priority. There were reports that some schoolgirls engaged in prostitution for spending money. Police dismantled a large child prostitution network in the Goodlands region and arrested a 33‑year‑old woman in connection with the ring. Police also broke up two other child prostitution networks in the north of the island. The police charged two persons in connection with child prostitution.
National labor laws cover EPZ workers, although unions had organized only 10% of EPZ workers. Some employers reportedly established employer-controlled work councils for EPZ workers, effectively blocking union efforts to organize at the enterprise level. Approximately 65,000 persons worked in the EPZ.
Past Ambassadors
David S. King
Appointment: Jun 24, 1968
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 29, 1968
Termination of Mission: Left Tananarive, Aug 16, 1969
Note: Also accredited to Madagascar; resident at Tananarive.
William D. Brewer
Appointment: Apr 8, 1970
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1970
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 23, 1973
Appointment: Apr 8, 1970
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1970
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 23, 1973
Philip W. Manhard
Appointment: Feb 28, 1974
Presentation of Credentials: May 24, 1974
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 10, 1976
Appointment: Feb 28, 1974
Presentation of Credentials: May 24, 1974
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 10, 1976
Robert V. Keeley
Appointment: Jun 16, 1976
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 23, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 17, 1978
Appointment: Jun 16, 1976
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 23, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 17, 1978
Samuel Rhea Gammon, 3rd
Appointment: Oct 12, 1978
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 20, 1978
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jan 20, 1980
Appointment: Oct 12, 1978
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 20, 1978
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jan 20, 1980
Robert C. F. Gordon
Appointment: Mar 18, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 17, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 2, 1983
Appointment: Mar 18, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 17, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 2, 1983
George Roberts Andrews
Appointment: Oct 7, 1983
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 7, 1983
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 16, 1986
Appointment: Oct 7, 1983
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 7, 1983
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 16, 1986
Ronald DeWayne Palmer
Appointment: Oct 16, 1986
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 14, 1986
Termination of Mission: Left post, Oct 21, 1989
Appointment: Oct 16, 1986
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 14, 1986
Termination of Mission: Left post, Oct 21, 1989
Penne Percy Korth
Appointment: Oct 10, 1989
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 6, 1989
Termination of Mission: Left post, Nov 19, 1992
Appointment: Oct 10, 1989
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 6, 1989
Termination of Mission: Left post, Nov 19, 1992
Leslie M. Alexander
Appointment: Nov 22, 1993
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 15, 1993
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 14, 1996
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros; resident at Port Louis.
Appointment: Nov 22, 1993
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 15, 1993
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 14, 1996
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros; resident at Port Louis.
Harold W. Geisel
Appointment: Jun 6, 1996
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 13, 1996
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 27, 1999
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros; resident at Port Louis.
Appointment: Jun 6, 1996
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 13, 1996
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 27, 1999
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros; resident at Port Louis.
Mark Wylea Erwin
Appointment: Jul 7, 1999
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 24, 1999
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 4, 2001
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros and the Seychelles; resident at Port Louis.
Appointment: Jul 7, 1999
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 24, 1999
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 4, 2001
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros and the Seychelles; resident at Port Louis.
John Price
Appointment: Jan 30, 2002
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 26, 2002
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jun 17, 2005
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros and the Seychelles; resident at Port Louis.
Appointment: Jan 30, 2002
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 26, 2002
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jun 17, 2005
Note: Also accredited to the Comoros and the Seychelles; resident at Port Louis.
Note: Stephen M. Schwartz served as Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Jun 2005–Oct 2006.
Cesar Cabrera
Confirmed by Senate: September 13, 2006
Presentation of Credentials: October 23, 2006
Termination of Mission: January 20, 2009
Note: Served as executive director of Republican Party in Puerto Rico.
Mauritius's Ambassador to the U.S.
There is currently no full-time ambassador from Mauritius to the US. Joyker Nayeck is the chargé d’affaires and has been in charge of the embassy since April 16, 2009. Nayeck and his wife Outra have three children.
Circular Migration – The Case for Mauritius (by Joyker Nayeck, World Bank Conference) (pdf)
- Table of Contents
- News
- Overview
- Basic Information
- History
- Newspapers
- History of U.S. Relations with Mauritius
- Current U.S. Relations with Mauritius
- Where Does the Money Flow
- Controversies
- Human Rights
- Debate
- Past Ambassadors
- Ambassador to the U.S.
- Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
- Comments
- Leave a comment
U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius
Wills, Mary
As a career diplomat with more than three decades of involvement in international affairs, Mary Jo Wills was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Ambassador to Mauritius and the Seychelles in December of 2009.
Wills holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Chatham College in Pittsburgh (1973) , a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Virginia Tech, a masters Degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, and is currently a doctoral candidate at the Virginia Tech Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP) in the National Capital Region.
Mary Jo Wills began her career in the Foreign Service in 1980. Early in her career, Wills served as a desk officer for Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia.
From 1999 to 2002, Wills was the Deputy Principal Officer in the Milan Consulate. From 2003 to 2004, she served as an Economic Advisor in the Economic, Energy and Business Bureau. From 2004 to 2007, she Wills was the Office Director of the Africa Bureau’s Economic Policy Staff. From August 2007 to January 2009, she was Country Director for Southern Africa Affairs.
Most recently, Mary Jo Wills was the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs from January of 2009 until her most recent appointment.
Previous U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius
Marquardt, Niels
A Senior Foreign Service Officer, R. Niels Marquardt was sworn in as Ambassador to Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros on August 17, 2007. Marquardt graduated from Lewis and Clark College in 1975, and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda from 1977-79, before attending the American Graduate School of International Management and the National War College (graduating 1980 and 1994, respectively).
In the U.S., Marquardt has served in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and as a Country Risk Analyst at the Export-Import Bank. He has served overseas in Thailand (1981-83 and 1987-90), in the Congo (1983-85), in France (1990-1994) and in Germany (1995-1998).
From 1998-2000 he was Director of the State Department’s Entry-level Counseling and Assignments Division in the Bureau of Human Resources.
From 2001-2004, Marquardt was Special Coordinator for Diplomatic Readiness, and from 2004-2006 he was Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea. Before assuming his current post as the U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar and the Comoros , he was Ambassador to Cameroon.
Marquardt speaks French, German, Thai and Spanish.
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