Headlines

Mama Kandeh labels electricity protest as ‘planned sabotage’

The leader of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), Mama Kandeh, has described the electricity protest in the Greater Banjul Area on Monday, September 7, 2026, as a “deliberate act of sabotage”, claiming it was planned days in advance. Speaking during a gathering in Sare Fodikeh, Kandeh urged President Adama Barrow to take decisive action, insisting that the protest was not a spontaneous reaction to power cuts but a coordinated attempt to destabilize.

Sep 10, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

Gambia secures $100M Trade Finance Facility from BADEA

The Gambian government has announced the signing of a $100 million trade finance facility with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), aimed at boosting businesses’ ability to import essential goods and commodities.

Sep 10, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

Sanyang SDF demands immediate cease of all Deep Sea Ports activities; get back to drawing board

Members of Sanyang Development Fund (SDF) and Councilor of Sanyang Wars have made fresh demands to the Ministry of Works and Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) to cease all operations associated with the Deep Sea Port (DSP) and get back to the drawing board with the people of Sanyang. The fresh demands were made on Tuesday 8th September, 2026, during a radio panel discussion on Home Fm, in Brikama, where they demanded the full disclosure of the sketch plan and map of the DSP area, make adequate compensation to the community as well as to return to the agreed site with the villagers for the construction of the deep sea port.

Sep 10, 2026

ECOMIG presence in Gambia remains open-ended, VP says

The continued presence of ECOMIG troops in The Gambia has no fixed end date, with Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow telling the National Assembly that ECOWAS conducts annual assessments to determine whether the regional force is still needed. The Vice President made the clarification during oral answers to questions from Members of the National Assembly on Wednesday at the parliament after a lawmaker pressed him to state whether there was a specific period covered by the agreement governing ECOMIG’s presence in the country.

Sep 10, 2026 • Jankey Ceesay

Vandalism, arson & looting occur as Gambians protest blackout in Greater Banjul

Thousands of Gambians poured onto the streets on Monday night in a wave of anger and defiance, protesting what they described as the relentless and crippling power outages that have plagued the nation. The unrest, which ignited in the capital city of Banjul, quickly spread across the Greater Banjul Area (GBA), engulfing Westfield, Tabokoto, Brikama, Busumbala, Bakau, Brufut and beyond. The message was stark and unified: “Bring back our lights – enough is enough.”

Sep 9, 2026 • Momodou Jawo & Isatou Ceesay Bah

Barrow assures 24/7 electricity supply by end October

President Adama Barrow has assured Gambians that the country's electricity crisis will be resolved by the end of October, promising uninterrupted power supply as Government moves to address growing public frustration over persistent outages across the Greater Banjul Area. The President's assurance came after widespread blackouts triggered protests in several communities, prompting him to undertake a day-long visit to the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) power stations in Brikama and Kotu to assess the situation firsthand and receive briefings on the challenges affecting electricity generation and distribution.

Sep 9, 2026 • Marie E. Chery

MPs demand deadline for gov’t to activate parole system

Members of the National Assembly have urged government to set a clear deadline for making The Gambia’s parole system operational, warning that leaving its implementation open‑ended risks undermining justice reform. The call came during debate on the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill 2026, which seeks to delay the operation of Section 258 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2025 until facilities required for parole are established.

Sep 9, 2026 • Jankey Ceesay

Gambia launches $12M CLIMB project to strengthen urban climate resilience

Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow on Tuesday presided over the official launch of the Climate‑Resilient Banjul: Enhancing Urban Resilience in the Greater Banjul Area (CLIMB) Project at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre. The ceremony brought together Cabinet Ministers, representatives of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), members of the diplomatic corps, heads of UN agencies and international organisations, as well as local government officials.

Sep 9, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

Gambia opens new chapter in digital growth with nine-digit numbering system

The successful migration to a nine-digit national numbering system is expected to provide the capacity needed to support The Gambia’s expanding digital economy, with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) describing the development as a major step towards strengthening the nation’s digital future. Addressing a press conference at PURA’s headquarters over the weekend, Director General Njogu L. Bah said the move should be viewed as far more than a simple change in telephone number formats, describing it as a strategic response to the rapid growth of the country’s telecommunications sector and wider digital ecosystem.

Sep 9, 2026 • Makutu Manneh

NDMA tests flood response readiness in major disaster simulation

The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) on Saturday led a large-scale simulation exercise aimed at testing the country's preparedness and institutional capacity to respond effectively to flood-related disasters. The exercise, conducted on 5 September 2026 along the Latrikunda German-Kotu Stream, simulated a flood emergency involving drowning incidents and the collapse of a building affecting five households.

Sep 9, 2026 • Adama Jallow

Former envoys seek bigger role in shaping Gambia’s diplomacy

Former Gambian ambassadors and retired senior diplomatic executives have declared that their retirement from active service will not mark the end of their contribution to nation-building, as they move to establish the country's first Association of Former Ambassadors and Retired Senior Diplomatic Executives. The initiative, unveiled during an inaugural meeting held on Tuesday, aims to bring together former ambassadors and senior diplomatic officials to preserve institutional memory, support foreign service reforms and make their wealth of experience available to the country's diplomatic corps.

Sep 9, 2026 • Makutu Manneh

NPP: Power challenges must not be allowed to undermine peace, national progress

Press release The ruling National People's Party (NPP) has acknowledged the hardship caused by recent electricity outages across The Gambia, while urging citizens to reject vandalism, looting and the destruction of public infrastructure as frustrations mount over the ongoing power crisis.

Sep 9, 2026

Bensouda promises death penalty, NAWEC privatisation if elected

With less than five months to go before the much‑anticipated 2026 presidential election, Talib Ahmed Bensouda — standard‑bearer of Coalition 2026 — has issued his boldest pledge yet. Addressing thousands of electrified supporters at Brikama SSP, Bensouda vowed to introduce the death penalty and privatise the nation’s National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) if entrusted with power in December.

Sep 8, 2026 • Jankey Ceesay

Revising Court: Barrow’s nephew named in ‘voter card dispute’ as UDP agent testifies

The Revising Court at Kanifing yesterday heard dramatic testimony from a United Democratic Party (UDP) agent who alleged that President Adama Barrow’s nephew, Amadou Sanneh, assisted an applicant to obtain a voter’s card. Amie Sankanu, who served as a UDP agent during the last supplementary voter registration in Kololi, told the court that Sanneh accompanied one Ablie Bah to the registration centre and presented his documents to officials of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Sep 8, 2026 • Dawda Faye

Niamey Convention ratified: Gambia moves to strengthen regional ties

The Gambia has ratified the African Union Convention on Cross‑Border Cooperation, known as the Niamey Convention (2014), paving the way for stronger collaboration with neighbouring countries in trade, security, infrastructure and development.

Sep 8, 2026 • Jankey Ceesay

Minister confirms GPA exit from cargo handling under new deal

The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) is no longer directly involved in cargo handling at the Port of Banjul under the government’s concession agreement, Transport Minister Ebrima Sillah has told the National Assembly. Presenting his ministry’s response to the Public Enterprises Committee’s consolidated report on the SSHFC Special Audit and GPA’s follow‑up performance audit, Sillah clarified that GPA’s role is now primarily regulatory, with cargo operations transferred to the concessionaire.

Sep 8, 2026 • Jankey Ceesay