The southern Tunisian city of Gabes was brought to a standstill as a general strike and massive protests erupted over worsening pollution linked to the state-run Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT) phosphate complex. Organized by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the strike shuttered schools, markets, and public offices, drawing attention to what locals describe as an “environmental and health catastrophe.”
Residents and environmental groups accuse the GCT of dumping around 15,000 tonnes of phosphogypsum waste into the Mediterranean each day, contaminating air and water with ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and sulphates. Health experts have reported rising cases of respiratory diseases and cancer in the industrial city, while fishermen say marine life has drastically declined.
President Kais Saied has vowed urgent action, calling the situation an “environmental assassination.” However, critics argue that successive governments have failed to balance phosphate revenues with environmental and social costs.
The unrest highlights Tunisia’s broader struggle to manage its key export industries amid rising public anger over pollution and economic stagnation. For investors, the Gabes crisis signals escalating risks for industrial operations and potential disruptions in the country’s vital phosphate supply chain, as reported by Reuters and Le Monde.
