The Gambia’s National Human Rights Commission says it has confirmed the arrest and detention of 20 people, including four minors, after sporadic protests over prolonged electricity shortages in Banjul, the Kanifing Municipality and the West Coast Region.
In a statement issued after monitoring between 7 and 9 September 2026, the NHRC said protesters had been held at three police stations in the West Coast Region and Kanifing. The commission also reported the destruction of public and private property and the deployment of a joint security task force made up of the Gambia Police Force, the Gambia Armed Forces and other units.
The NHRC said access to reliable energy is tied to fundamental rights, including health, education, livelihood and an adequate standard of living. It warned that the outages continue to impose economic hardship, disrupt medical services and undermine daily life. President Adama Barrow has described the blackouts as an emergency and pledged additional generation capacity by the end of October, after nights of street protests in which police used tear gas, and demonstrators burned tires and blocked roads.
The commission acknowledged government efforts to address the crisis. Still, it urged the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, NAWEC and the Executive to treat the shortage urgently and publish a transparent short- and long-term plan to restore adequate supply.
At the same time, the NHRC said the 1997 Constitution and international human rights treaties protect the rights of assembly and expression. It called on protesters to exercise those rights within the law and without harming others. Reports of vandalism, attacks on officers, pedestrians and road users, and late-night public nuisance, it said, threaten peace and security and weaken the legitimacy of public grievances.
The commission also expressed concern about the heavy security presence during nightly demonstrations. It reminded authorities that measures to keep order must meet the state’s human rights obligations and must not themselves become violations. It urged police to use maximum restraint, facilitate peaceful protest, and follow international standards on the use of force.
Calling for constructive engagement among all stakeholders, the NHRC said it would continue to monitor the situation and pressed for accountability while preserving peace and democratic stability.
