President Adama Barrow calls for calm amid a nation‑wide blackout crisis
The Gambia’s president urged citizens to remain calm after Monday nights protests erupted over prolonged power cuts that have lasted up to 48 hours in many parts of the country. In a televised address he said, “When you lie down in the heat and the darkness, know that you are not alone in that darkness.”
The outcry came after residents burned tyres and blocked roads in Banjul and surrounding areas, with police using tear gas to disperse the crowds. Protesters also targeted the Vice‑President’s residence in Farato and vandalised a National People’s Party office.
Barrow announced that a new 24‑megawatt generating unit would be installed at the Brikama power station and commissioned by the end of next month. A 50‑megawatt solar plant is also under contract in Soma, though a completion date has not yet been set.
The Gambia, which supplies some electricity from Guinea and neighboring Senegal, was hit by high temperatures that increased demand and a reduction in imported power from the regional grid. Nawec chief Gallo Saidy said that lower rainfall this year had further compounded the shortfall.
The crisis comes just months before the December presidential election, in which Barrow seeks a controversial third term. He called the outages a national security issue and an emergency, promising that supply levels would improve by the end of October.
