Gambia: Gambian President Declares Power Emergency Amid Protests
[allAfrica] President Adama Barrow has declared the country's prolonged electricity crisis a national emergency and promised to increase power generation as protests over rolling blackouts intensify ahead of the December presidential election.
President Adama Barrow of The Gambia has declared the prolonged electricity crisis a national emergency, promising to increase power generation amid escalating protests over rolling blackouts. The crisis has intensified ahead of the December presidential election, with citizens urged to remain calm by Barrow. He noted that the electricity crisis is not unique to The Gambia, affecting several parts of West Africa.
Demonstrations in Banjul and nearby areas saw protesters burning tires, setting up roadblocks, and demanding Barrow's resignation, following prolonged outages of up to 48 hours during the hot season. Police responded with tear gas to disperse protesters near Barrow's residence and the National Water and Electricity Corporation's headquarters.
Barrow has pledged to install a 24-megawatt generation machine by the end of October and plans to construct a 50-megawatt solar power plant. The electricity provider attributes the crisis to high temperatures, climate change, and broader geopolitical disruptions. AllAfrica compiles around 600 reports daily from over 90 news organizations and 500 other sources, presenting diverse viewpoints on each issue.
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