Gambian President Adama Barrow has called for restraint amid growing public anger over persistent electricity outages that have left homes and businesses without power for as long as two days.
The appeal came after demonstrations erupted in Banjul and nearby communities on Monday night, with residents protesting against what they described as increasingly unbearable blackouts.
Addressing the nation on Tuesday, Mr Barrow acknowledged the difficulties caused by the energy shortages and said the government was taking steps to stabilise electricity production.
“When you lie down in the heat and the dark, believe that you are not alone in that darkness,” he said, promising an improvement in supply by the end of October.
The Gambia has experienced frequent disruptions to its power supply since June, with the situation worsening during the hot season as temperatures rise and households increase their use of electricity.
The country relies partly on imported power from neighbouring Senegal and Guinea to supplement domestic generation.
Tensions escalated in the Westfield area on Monday, where demonstrators reportedly set fire to tyres and obstructed roads.
Police fired tear gas to disperse some of the protesters who were heading towards the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec).
Some protesters called for Mr Barrow to leave office.
A separate group gathered near Vice-President Muhammad B.S. Jallow’s residence in Farato, while property linked to Mr Barrow’s ruling National People’s Party was reportedly damaged.
The protests come ahead of a presidential election expected in December, with Mr Barrow seeking another term in office despite controversy surrounding his bid for a third term.
In his televised statement, the president urged citizens not to damage electricity installations or other public facilities, warning that such actions could prolong the crisis and force the government to spend scarce resources on repairs.
He conceded that weaknesses in planning, electricity production and equipment maintenance had contributed to the problem, describing the situation as both an emergency and a matter of national security.
Mr Barrow said the prolonged outages had affected everyday life, leaving children studying without adequate lighting, food spoiling in households and residents struggling with excessive heat.
He announced that a new 24-megawatt generator was being installed at the Brikama power facility and was expected to begin operating by the end of October.
The government has also awarded a contract for the construction of a 50-megawatt solar energy project in Soma, although authorities have not announced when the facility will be completed.
Mr Barrow also visited Nawec installations on Tuesday and said additional generators were expected to arrive during the week.
Nawec Managing Director Gallo Saidy attributed part of the shortage to a reduction in electricity received through the regional power network.
He said inadequate rainfall had reduced the amount of electricity available from the regional system.
“We are aware of the frustration and constraints that the Gambian people have,” Mr Saidy said, appealing to residents to remain patient while efforts were made to restore a more reliable supply.
Nawec had previously warned that exceptionally high temperatures were pushing electricity consumption sharply upwards.
A technical fault at a major generating facility had also disrupted an important source of imported electricity.
By Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong