Africa-Press – Mauritius. The 2025 edition of the ‘Festival Internasional Kreol’, a major cultural and touristic event celebrating the authenticity of Kreol culture, was officially launched yesterday at Mont Choisy beach jointly by the Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Paul Raymond Bérenger. The Prime Minister also lit the festival’s bonfire to kick-off the celebrations.
The Minister of Tourism, Mr Christian Harold Richard Duval, several Ministers, Junior Ministers and other distinguished personalities attended the opening ceremony.
Held under the theme “Otantisite nou kiltir kreol”, the three-day festival aims to showcase the vibrancy of Kreol identity through music, arts, cuisine and traditional practices.
The Prime Minister described this cultural event as a celebration of national identity and reflection of the nation’s rich history and heritage. He expressed immense pleasure in launching the festival recalling that he launched the first edition in 2006.
He hailed the country’s unity in its diversity, where communities live together in harmony while underlining the unifying role of the Kreol language and cuisine. Reaffirming Government’s commitment to further strengthening Kreol in the education system, he spoke of the introduction of the language at Grade 12.
Dr Ramgoolam commended artists for preserving Kreol traditions and lauded the hotel sector for its support in the organisation of the festival. He called for the preservation and valorisation of the Kreol language.
The Deputy Prime Minister underlined the festival’s importance in recognising Kreol as the national language and stressed that the event is meant for all communities. Mr Bérenger highlighted the regional dimension of this year’s edition, with participation from Rodrigues, Seychelles, Réunion Island and the Chagossian community, while noting linguistic ties with Haiti. He also recalled that a report on the inclusion of the Kreol language in the National Assembly is currently underway.
For his part, the Minister of Tourism stated that the festival is a key event in the national cultural calendar and thanked the hotel sector through a strong public–private partnership. Mr Duval reaffirmed the festival’s key role in promoting Mauritianism and the authenticity of Kreol culture.
