New Protests Break Out In Gambia Over Electricity Blackouts

Thousands of people staged fresh protests near the Gambian capital overnight Wednesday to Thursday over gruelling power cuts, with police tear-gassing demonstrators at several locations, sources and local media reported.

The chaotic scenes marked the second night this week that demonstrators have taken to the streets of the tiny west African nation, where prolonged electricity cuts have plagued residents since June.

Protesters gathered in crowds of hundreds in numerous municipalities, including the suburb of Sukuta near Banjul and the town of Manduar.

Youths in those towns lit fires at major junctions, according to various reports in local media and on social networks.

The blackouts come during the hot season and have lasted up to 48 hours in some areas, resulting in spoiled food, closed shops and sleepless nights.

Police tear-gassed protesters in Bakau, Tanji and Tujereng, all near the capital, according to posts on social media.

Ousainou Jallow, a protester from Bakau, told AFP his city did not have water for 24 hours leading up to the demonstration.

“It was a very hard night because the protesters were forced to disperse when the paramilitary (police) started using tear gas,” he said.

Thousands took to the streets Monday night in spontaneous demonstrations that featured chants against President Adama Barrow, up for re-election in December.

Overnight Wednesday to Thursday in Kerr Serign and Jambur, also on the outskirts of Banjul, residents blocked smaller roads throughout the night.

Businesses say they are suffering from the cuts. In Tanji and Tujereng’s fishing communities, residents said a lack of ice was ruining their catch and destroying their livelihoods.

On Tuesday, Barrow pledged to boost power supplies by next month.

He promised the government was in the “final stage” of installing a new 24-megawatt generation machine at the Brikama power plant and said plans were also in place to build a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Soma.

The demonstrations mark a sharp escalation from earlier power protests and come just months before December elections, in which Barrow intends to run for a third term.

The Gambia’s energy provider, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), in mid-August said the blackouts were due to surges in demand, mainly because of high temperatures, combined with “constraints on electricity imports”.

Its managing director said this week that climate change and war in the Middle East were partly to blame.

AFP