Sri Lankan President Extends Curfew Until 11 May Amid Continuing Unrest

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday extended the national curfew until the morning of 11 May amid ongoing protests, triggered by economic and political crises.

"I instruct everybody not to use any public roads, railways, public parks, public recreation areas or other public territories or the seashore from 19:00 on May 9, 2022 to 07:00 on 11 May 2022," the presidential decree said.

The clashes in Colombo, which took place on Monday, killed seven people and injured 231, with 218 of them hospitalized, Sri Lankan media outlet News First reported.

On Monday, groups of pro- and anti-government activists clashed in Colombo amid the state of emergency, which had been imposed on Friday, and a nationwide strike demanding the resignation of the president. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down from office in a bid to mitigate the ongoing crisis. The protesters set his and the president's houses on fire.

Sri Lanka is in a political deadlock caused by the country's worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The dire economic situation was caused by shortages of foreign currency as tourist flows dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing the country from purchasing enough fuel. The pandemic has also negatively impacted remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad. There is an acute shortage of food and basic necessities, including fuel and gas, with many parts of the island nation facing continuous power blackouts.