​Gambia Erupts Over Power Outages

​Protests erupted across The Gambia as crippling electricity blackouts lasting up to 48 hours sparked angry street demonstrations, with citizens chanting “Barrow must go” just months ahead of a high-stakes presidential election.

​Demonstrators took to the streets in the capital, Banjul, and surrounding areas, burning tyres and erecting road barricades. Security forces responded with tear gas to disperse the crowds. In Farato, crowds gathered near the residence of Vice-President Mohammed B.S. Jallow, while banners belonging to President Adama Barrow’s ruling National People’s Party were vandalized.

​The civil unrest underlines mounting public frustration as the country heads toward a December presidential vote, where Barrow is seeking a controversial third term.

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​Addressing the nation, President Barrow acknowledged the severe hardships inflicted by the erratic power supply. He noted that families are suffering through extreme heat, children are forced to study in darkness, and businesses are losing perishable goods due to non-functioning refrigerators. Categorizing the crisis as a national security emergency, Barrow appealed for calm and urged citizens to refrain from destroying public infrastructure.

​To mitigate the crisis, Barrow pledged that electricity supplies will see substantial improvements by the end of October. Measures include the final installation phase of a 24-megawatt generating unit at the Brikama power station and a contracted 50-megawatt solar power plant in Soma.

​The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) attributed the generation deficit to record-high electricity demand fueled by soaring temperatures, technical failures at key facilities, and constrained regional imports from Senegal and Guinea. With the political opposition capitalizing on the infrastructure breakdown, the energy crisis has transformed into the primary fault line of the impending electoral battle.