Gambian leader pledges halt to rolling blackouts as protests turn violent

Barrow pledges new power infrastructure, including a 24-megawatt plant, to tackle The Gambia’s worsening electricity crisis.

Gambia's President Adama Barrow poses for a photo before the start of the ECOWAS meeting, in Abuja, Nigeria, on December 15, 2024 [Olamikan Gbemiga/AP]

Gambian President Adama Barrow has said the country will boost energy supplies by next month, hoping to quell violent protests over prolonged power outages as the premier stands for re-election .

Protesters burned tyres and built barricades blocking traffic, demanding that Barrow resign, in The Gambia’s capital, Banjul, and nearby cities on Monday and Tuesday.

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds who gathered in multiple locations, including near Barrow’s residence and the National Water and Electricity Corporation (NAWEC) headquarters, which supplies the country’s electricity.

Demonstrators burn tyres and block a road during a protest over the country’s ongoing electricity crisis and persistent power outages in Brusubi on September 8, 2026. [AFP]

Barrow declared the outages an emergency and a “national security issue” during a visit to a NAWEC power station. In a national address, he announced that the government would install a 24-megawatt generation machine by the end of October.

“I know that the fans have stopped turning, children work in the dark, mothers throw away stale food, and the heat is unbearable by day and by night,” Barrow said.

The rolling blackouts are taking place during the West African country’s hot season and have lasted up to 48 hours in some places.

The Gambian president also announced an additional 50-megawatt solar power plant that would begin construction soon.

NAWEC Managing Director Gallo said the prolonged electricity cuts were in part due to climate change and the US-Israel war on Iran. The electricity provider, in a statement released in August, also claimed that it was experiencing an “unforeseen surge” in demand due to high temperatures.

The blackouts come just months ahead of the December presidential election, in which Barrow is running for a third term .

巴罗承诺建设新的电力基础设施，包括一座 24 兆瓦的发电厂，以应对冈比亚日益恶化的电力危机。

2024年12月15日，冈比亚总统阿达马·巴罗在尼日利亚阿布贾举行的西非国家经济共同体（ECOWAS）会议开始前摆姿势拍照。[Olamikan Gbemiga/AP]

冈比亚总统阿达马·巴罗表示，该国将于下个月增加能源供应，希望平息因长期停电而引发的暴力抗议活动，因为总理正在竞选连任。

周一和周二，在冈比亚首都班珠尔及周边城市，抗议者焚烧轮胎并设置路障阻断交通，要求巴罗辞职。

警方使用催泪瓦斯驱散聚集在多个地点的民众，其中包括巴罗的住所附近以及为该国供电的国家水利电力公司（NAWEC）总部附近。

2026年9月8日，在布鲁苏比，示威者焚烧轮胎并封锁道路，抗议该国持续的电力危机和长期停电。[法新社]

巴罗在视察NAWEC发电站时，宣布停电事件已构成紧急事件和“国家安全问题”。他在全国讲话中宣布，政府将在10月底前安装一台24兆瓦的发电机组。

“我知道风扇已经停止转动，孩子们在黑暗中工作，母亲们扔掉变质的食物，白天和晚上都酷热难耐，”巴罗说。

西非国家正值炎热季节，期间发生轮流停电，部分地区停电时间长达 48 小时。

冈比亚总统还宣布，一座新的 50 兆瓦太阳能发电厂即将开工建设。

NAWEC总经理加洛表示，长期停电部分原因是气候变化和美以对伊朗的战争。这家电力供应商在8月份发布的一份声明中还声称，高温导致其用电需求出现“意料之外的激增”。

距离 12 月的总统大选仅剩几个月，巴罗正在竞选第三个任期。