Gambia blackouts spark protests and tear gas

Thousands of people protested in The Gambia overnight September 7 to 8 over worsening power outages, with demonstrators burning tyres, blocking traffic and chanting against President Adama Barrow.

The blackouts have affected the country since June and have recently become more severe. In some locations, rolling outages have lasted up to 48 hours during the hot season.

Protests took place in Banjul and nearby cities. In the Westfield district on the outskirts of the capital, police used tear gas as crowds moved toward the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Corporation.

Barrow called the outages “a national security issue” and “an emergency” on Tuesday during a visit to the utility's power station in Brikama, near the capital. He said it was “time for action” and was expected to address the nation more formally later in the day.

The demonstrations come months before December elections, in which Barrow is running for a third term.

NAWEC said in mid-August that the blackouts were caused by surging demand, mainly because of high temperatures, combined with constraints on electricity imports. On Tuesday, NAWEC managing director Gallo Saidy said the problems were due in part to climate change and war in the Middle East, and appealed for patience.

Information Minister Ismaila Ceesay said the government was treating the situation with urgency and was working to address it.