BANJUL — Protesters burned tires and built barricades in the Banjul area Monday and Tuesday, chanting “Barrow must go” as rolling blackouts stretched as long as 48 hours in the hot season. Security forces used tear gas near the president’s residence and the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC).
President Adama Barrow, who is seeking a third term in December’s presidential election, called the outages an emergency and a national-security issue. He pledged a 24-megawatt generator by the end of October and additional 50 megawatts of solar power soon.
“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.
NAWEC has cited a surge in demand, climate pressures, strained regional electricity imports, and knock-on effects from the Iran war, according to Al Jazeera.
Sources: Al Jazeera, BBC
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