Gambia: Gambia's Power Crisis Boils Over As Anger Reaches Breaking Point

What the report says

Protests over worsening electricity shortages have spread across The Gambia, with demonstrators in Banjul, Kanifing, Brikama and Brufut calling for President Adama Barrow to resign. According to Radio France Internationale’s report, crowds marched toward State House on Monday evening, chanting against the president, while some burned tyres and blocked roads. The unrest comes as the country heads toward general elections scheduled for December.

The immediate trigger was a stretch of severe and prolonged blackouts. RFI cited local civil society leader Madi Jobarteh as saying outages have recently lasted many hours each day, with some areas facing near-continuous disruption in hot weather. The article said the public anger was driven not only by the inconvenience, but also by the effect on homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, water supply and daily life.

Government officials have acknowledged the crisis and urged calm. Information Minister Ismaila Ceesay said authorities were treating the situation as urgent, while Barrow visited power plants on Tuesday and promised improvements by the end of October. He said a new 24-megawatt generator was being installed at Brikama. The report also placed the crisis in a longer context of The Gambia’s dependence on imported electricity, aging domestic infrastructure and supply pressures across the region. RFI noted that the issue could become a political test for Barrow as he seeks another term.