President Adama Barrow’s administration has banned protests in The Gambia that lack official permits. The move follows days of unrest over persistent electricity blackouts and comes ahead of the country’s general election in December, in which Barrow will contest for a third term. The country’s power sector took a turn for the worse in recent weeks due to a decline in electricity imports from neighboring Senegal, reportedly because of unpaid bills, and from Guinea, where drought has hampered hydropower output. A deal with Karpowership, the Turkish floating power plant company that once supplied about 40% of The Gambia’s electricity, expired last year, removing a major source of electricity supply. The unrest fits a broader pattern of youth-led protests across Africa over living conditions and corruption, echoing demonstrations in Madagascar, Tanzania, and Kenya in recent years.