A police station was destroyed as protesters took to the streets of The Gambia on Wednesday night as frustration over protracted power failures reach the boiling point.
There were similar protests on Monday night and Tuesday evening.
Wednesday evening witnessed the third consecutive night of violent anger being uncorked on the streets of Gambia’s urban areas where angry youth stormed the streets demanding an end to the outage, which has paralysed businesses and other economic activities in recent months.
Demonstrations took place in the seaside town of Tujereng where young protesters frustrated by the situation set fire to a police station and called on the government to resign.
Similar spontaneous protests took place in Bakau where protesters held out lit candles and marched around the town shouting anti-government slogans and calling for the resignation of President Adama Barrow who is set to bid for a controversial third term when the country goes to the polls in December 2026.
Other protesters in Brufut, Ebo Town, Tallinding, Sukuta and other peri -urban settlements demanded retribution against senior officials of the National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) who are accused of poor leadership and lack of oversight conviction to tackle the perennial energy crisis blighting the country.
Months of power blackouts worsened in June, leading to pent-up public frustration despite promises by the government to address the power deficit which it blames on a wider regional problem. Gambia partly depends on outsides sources in neighbouring Senegal and Guinea for domestic energy supply.
President Barrow on Tuesday pledged to address the energy crisis by October, acknowledging the ”pains and suffering” of the people who are left to sleep in darkness. He said two generators commissioned recently are being shipped to The Gambia to help plug the energy deficit.
Water and electricity shortages have aggravated during the hot season when consumer demands for such public utilities rise as blackouts last for up to 72 hours in some parts of urban Gambia where more homes and businesses are resorting to solar energy to beat the crisis.
An emergency meeting was reportedly held at state house late on Wednesday as the protests were raging in different parts of the urban area.
President Barrow had announced the establishment of a presidential taskforce to address the crisis.
WN/as/APA