Gambia Power Emergency: President Adama Barrow Declares Energy Crisis Amid Violent Protests

The rolling power outages, which have plagued the West African nation since June, have become longer and more frequent during the current hot season as soaring temperatures drive up electricity demand. In some areas, residents have been left without power for up to two days at a time.

Protests Turn Violent

Frustration boiled over on Monday night when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in the capital Banjul and surrounding areas, burning tyres, erecting roadblocks and chanting "Barrow must go!" Banners at an office of Barrow's ruling National People's Party were damaged, and protesters also gathered outside the vice-president's residence in Farato.

Ad

In the Westfield district on the outskirts of Banjul, police used tear gas to disperse crowds heading towards the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Corporation (NAWEC), the state energy provider. Security forces were also deployed near Barrow's official residence.

The unrest marks a sharp escalation from earlier power protests and comes just months before a presidential election expected in December, in which Barrow is seeking a controversial third term.

"You Are Not Alone in That Darkness"

In a televised address on Tuesday night, Barrow acknowledged the hardship caused by the blackouts.

"I know that the fans have stopped turning, children work in the dark, mothers throw away stale food, and the heat is unbearable by day and by night," the president said.

"When you lie down in the heat and the dark, believe that you are not alone in that darkness," Barrow said, promising to boost power supplies by next month.

He admitted there had been shortcomings in the government's planning, power generation and maintenance systems, calling the resulting outages "a national security issue" and an "emergency."

The Root Causes

NAWEC has attributed the crisis to multiple factors. In a statement released in August, the utility said an "unforeseen surge in electricity demand" due to unusually high temperatures had overwhelmed the system, compounded by "constraints on electricity imports" from the regional grid.

NAWEC Managing Director Gallo Saidy further cited climate change and wider geopolitical disruptions, including the war in the Middle East, as contributing factors.

The Gambia supplements its own generation with imported electricity from Guinea and neighbouring Senegal. Reduced rainfall this year had also reduced the electricity available through the regional network.

Government Response

Barrow visited NAWEC facilities in Brikama and Kotu on Tuesday morning and promised that new generators would arrive this week.

He announced that the government was in the final stages of installing a 24-megawatt generating unit at the Brikama power station, which would be commissioned by the end of October.

"For a system of our size, this is considerable power, enough to make a big difference in your homes," Barrow said.

He also announced that a contract had been awarded for a 50MW solar power plant in Soma, although no completion date was given.

Information Minister Ismaila Ceesay apologised to those affected by the power cuts and said the government was treating the situation "with the seriousness and utmost urgency it deserves."

A Warning Against Destruction

Barrow warned protesters against damaging public infrastructure, saying it would only worsen the disruption and divert money towards repairs.

"Let us not destroy in a moment of anger what we suffered so long to gain," he said.

Police have not commented on the number of arrests, if any. After the protests died down in the pre-dawn hours, residents were seen using water to douse fires and clear the barricades.

With reporting from allAfrica.com, BBC News, Reuters, AFP, EWN and other continental sources.