'You're not alone in the darkness': Gambia president urges calm after violent blackout protests

The Gambia's President Adama Barrow has urged citizens to remain calm over prolonged power cuts, saying the country is not alone in facing an electricity crisis that has affected several parts of West Africa.

His comments follow protests on Monday night in the capital Banjul and surrounding areas over blackouts that residents say have sometimes lasted up to 48 hours.

"When you lie down in the heat and the dark, believe that you are not alone in that darkness," Barrow said, pledging to boost power supplies by next month.

The Gambia supplements its own generation with imported electricity, including supplies from Guinea and neighbouring Senegal.

The tiny West African country has endured persistent blackouts since June, with outages becoming longer and more frequent during the current hot season as soaring temperatures drive up electricity demand.

Frustration boiled over on Monday night, when protesters took to the streets in Banjul and surrounding areas, burning tyres and blocking roads over the prolonged power cuts.

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds in Westfield area as they moved towards the headquarters of the national electricity company, Nawec, with some chanting. "Barrow must go".

Protesters also gathered outside the vice-president's residence in Farato, where banners at an office of Barrow's ruling National People's Party were damaged.