The Gambia's President Adama Barrow has called for calm following violent protests against persistent and prolonged power outages. Residents in the capital Banjul and surrounding areas took to the streets Monday night, burning tires and blocking roads, some chanting "Barrow must go." Police deployed tear gas to disperse crowds.
Barrow acknowledged the difficulties caused by the blackouts, which have sometimes lasted up to 48 hours since June. He stated that the country is not alone in facing an electricity crisis, noting that several parts of West Africa have experienced similar issues. "When you lie down in the heat and the dark, believe that you are not alone in that darkness," Barrow said in a televised address Tuesday night.
The president attributed the outages to shortcomings in government planning, power generation, and maintenance, labeling the situation a "national security issue" and an "emergency." He recognized the impact on daily life, citing "fans have stopped turning, children work in the dark, mothers throw away stale food, and the heat is unbearable."
Protesters also damaged banners at an office of Barrow's ruling National People's Party and gathered outside the vice-president's residence. The unrest occurs months before a presidential election expected in December, where Barrow is seeking a third term.
Barrow pledged that power supplies would improve by the end of October. He announced that a new 24-megawatt generating unit is being installed at the Brikama power station and is expected to be operational by next month. Additionally, a contract has been awarded for a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Soma, though a completion date was not provided.
The Gambia relies on a combination of its own electricity generation and imported power from Guinea and Senegal. Nawec chief Gallo Saidy appealed for patience, explaining that reduced electricity imports from the regional grid have contributed to the shortages. He cited lower rainfall this year as a factor affecting electricity availability through the regional network. Nawec had previously warned in August about increased electricity demand due to unusually high temperatures and a technical issue affecting a major generating unit for imported power.
Barrow visited the national energy utility's facilities on Tuesday and promised that new generators would arrive this week. He cautioned protesters against damaging public infrastructure, warning that such actions would worsen disruptions and divert funds to repairs.