Gambian President Calls for Calm After Protests Over Power Outages

September 9, 2026 Hour: 11:47 am

He expressed his concern about the power cuts, which in some areas have lasted up to 48 consecutive hours.

On Tuesday, Gambian President Adama Barrow called for calm after protests in Banjul and other parts of the country over power outages, which led to clashes with police and acts of vandalism.

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The President acknowledged citizens’ right to express their opinions but urged them to refrain from destroying public infrastructure, warning that such actions exacerbate the crisis and delay solutions.

Barrow expressed his “deep concern” about the power cuts, which in some areas have lasted up to 48 consecutive hours, describing the situation as “unbearable” for the population.

He reminded the public that transformers, power lines, and electrical equipment “belong to the people” and that their destruction entails higher repair costs, which are resources that could be allocated to other priority needs.

The president explained that the energy crisis stems from record electricity demand in West Africa, the simultaneous failure of power plants, and weather conditions that have reduced hydroelectric production.

The government is working on installing a 24 MW generating unit at the Brikama Power Station, scheduled to become operational by the end of October, which will mark a significant improvement.

He said a contract was also awarded to build a 50 MW solar power plant in Soma, and a Presidential Task Force on Power Supply was established to coordinate response measures.