Protests banned over ongoing electricity unrest

Gambia’s police chief has announced that no further protests will be allowed in the West African nation without permits, after authorities used tear gas last week to disperse crowds that had formed to denounce prolonged power cuts during the hottest months of the year. The protests over multiple nights highlighted frustration with President Adama Barrow ahead of elections in December, reports SABC News. ‘From this very moment, nobody is allowed to protest without an approved permit,’ Seedy Touray, Gambia’s Inspector-General of police, said. ‘Nobody is allowed to converge, cause havoc, distort the peace and tranquility of the nation, especially during the night. Any violation to this will be met with necessary force.’ During the unrest last week, a police post was vandalised and ‘detainees were unlawfully released from custody’, Touray said, while the national utility, National Water and Electricity Company Ltd (Nawec), said it had closed three branches after attacks severely damaged buildings, infrastructure and office equipment. Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with vandalism during the unrest, Touray said.

Meanwhile, Barrow has declared an electricity state of emergency, hoping to quell the violent protests. He said the country will boost energy supplies by next month, reports Al Jazeera. Protesters in the capital Banjul and nearby cities burned tyres and built barricades blocking traffic, demanding that Barrow resign. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds who gathered in multiple locations, including near Barrow’s residence and Nawec headquarters. 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 24MW generation machine by the end of October. 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 50MW solar power plant, with construction beginning 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 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.