Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the lack of female company. With no boat of their own (the ship they arrived on failed to
return as promised), Leguat and his friends built a craft out of driftwood and eventually
made it to Mauritius.
In 1735, the French founded a permanent colony on Rodrigues with a small settlement
at Port Mathurin, but the colony never really prospered. When the British - who wanted a
base from which to attack French-ruled Mauritius - invaded in 1809, they were met with
little resistance.
In 1967, Rodriguans distinguished themselves by voting against independence from
Britain by a whopping 90% (the rest of Mauritius voted strongly in favour). It was a dra-
matic illustration of the difference in outlook between the two islands. Following inde-
pendence, Rodriguans continued to argue that their needs were significantly different from
the rest of the country and that, in any case, they were being neglected by the central gov-
ernment.
The campaign was led by Serge Clair and his Organisation du Peuple de Rodrigues
(OPR), founded in 1976. His patience and political skill eventually paid off. In 2001 it
was announced that Rodrigues would be allowed a degree of autonomy, notably in so-
cioeconomic affairs and in the management of their natural resources. The following year
18 councillors were elected; the Regional Assembly was formally inaugurated in 2002
with Serge Clair as chief commissioner.
