Gambia's President Adama Barrow has asked citizens to stay calm during a period of long power outages, noting that the electricity crisis is not unique to his country but affects parts of West Africa. His comments follow protests in the capital, Banjul, and nearby areas on Monday, where residents expressed frustration over blackouts that have sometimes lasted up to two days. Barrow promised to increase power supplies by next month, aiming to ease the situation. The Gambia relies partly on imported electricity, including power from Guinea and neighboring Senegal, to supplement its own generation. Since June, the country has experienced frequent and prolonged blackouts, which have worsened during the hot season as higher temperatures increase electricity demand. On Monday night, tensions escalated when protesters blocked roads and burned tires in Banjul and surrounding areas. Police used tear gas to control crowds near the headquarters of the national electricity company, Nawec, where some protesters chanted "Barrow must go." Demonstrations also occurred near the vice-president's residence and damaged banners at an office of Barrow's ruling party. The unrest occurs just months before a presidential election expected in December, where Barrow is running for a controversial third term. In a televised address on Tuesday, he acknowledged the difficulties caused by the blackouts but urged protesters not to damage public infrastructure, warning that such actions would worsen the situation and divert resources from essential repairs. Barrow admitted there were shortcomings in government planning and power systems, calling the outages a "national security issue" and an "emergency." Barrow announced plans to install a new 24-megawatt generating unit at the Brikama power station, which is expected to be operational by the end of next month. A contract has also been signed for a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Soma, though no completion date was provided. The president visited energy facilities on Tuesday and pledged new generators would arrive this week. Gallo Saidy, the head of Nawec, asked for patience, citing reduced electricity imports from the regional grid and lower rainfall as factors contributing to the shortages. He noted that high temperatures and technical issues had also impacted power supply from imported sources.