Gambia pledges power upgrades after blackout protests turn violent
President Adama Barrow has declared prolonged outages an emergency and a national security issue ahead of December’s election.
Gambian President Adama Barrow has pledged urgent power upgrades after protests over prolonged blackouts in Banjul and nearby cities turned violent.
Protesters burned tyres and built barricades, with some demanding Barrow’s resignation. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds gathered at multiple locations, including near the president’s residence and the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Company, known as NAWEC.
During a visit to a NAWEC power station, Barrow described the outages as an emergency and a “national security issue”. He said the government would install a 24-megawatt generation machine by the end of October and improve electricity supplies by the following month.
Barrow also announced a planned 50-megawatt solar plant, with construction expected to begin soon. The project remains at the planning stage.
The outages, which have lasted up to 48 hours in some areas during the hot season, are placing pressure on the government months before the December presidential election, in which Barrow is seeking a third term. NAWEC has attributed some of the disruption to high temperatures and an unforeseen surge in demand.
