With rolling blackouts fueling mounting public anger ahead of the December presidential election, President Adama Barrow has declared the country’s prolonged electricity crisis a national emergency and pledged to expand power generation.
Protesters in Banjul and nearby areas burned tyres, blocked roads and demanded Barrow’s resignation after outages in some communities stretched to 48 hours during the hot season. Police fired tear gas to break up crowds gathered near the president’s residence and the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Corporation.
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Barrow has committed to installing a 24-megawatt generation machine by the end of October and announced plans for an additional 50-megawatt solar power plant. The electricity provider has attributed the disruption to soaring temperatures, climate change and broader geopolitical upheaval.
