The Press — Recent Events in Gabès
The recent news in Gabès has shed light on a series of tragic accidents caused by toxic gas emissions, which have led to respiratory problems for many people, particularly students in schools near the region's chemical industries.
Among the reactions from citizens, one testimony caught my attention: that of Ali B. Khémaïs B. Kilani B. Cheikh Boubaker, collected by a local radio station and shared on social media in a video. This citizen worked in the early 1970s as a "technician" on the construction site that would become the future production unit for phosphoric acid and fertilizers from phosphate from the Gafsa region.
A Promising Destination
Gabès was promoted on the European market from the beginning of the 20th century as an ideal product for "wintering," or a prolonged stay during the European cold season. In excellent French, the citizen recounts the day when, after the construction work was completed, a certain "Monsieur Brunnel," the site manager, asked him to install two ladders to access the administrative building's terrace. Once there, he took in the breathtaking panorama, which included the lush oasis and the sea, and sighed: "I don't understand why they chose this location for such a unit. It will be the end of this paradise once the factory starts production. There will only be desolation, destruction, bad smells, and diseases."
The Tunisian, proud of the achievement, suggested: "Are you exaggerating?" His boss retorted, "This is not the first unit of this kind that I've built, and I know what happens afterwards."
A Personal Connection to Gabès
This testimony immediately reminded me of my first encounter with the city of Gabès and its region, which was around 1967. I remember a peaceful, large town surrounded by its oasis and caressed by the gentle waves of its gulf. The town relied on the products of its oasis, which were numerous, varied, and of high quality, and available throughout the year. The sea provided an abundance of products with an incomparable taste and variety. The Gulf of Gabès was even nicknamed the "nursery of the Mediterranean" because almost all marine species in our sea, particularly the most beautiful varieties of shrimp, came to spawn there during the breeding season.
A Rich Cultural and Natural Heritage
I also remember the establishment of a crocodile farm by "M. Muller," a German veterinarian who founded the Belvédère zoo in Tunis, which the local authorities tried to sabotage. And, of course, I have vivid memories of the hinterland, with Chénini de Gabès, the unique maritime oasis in the world, with its thermal springs (el-Hamma), the mergoum craftsmanship of Oudref, and its Berber villages (troglodytes and ksours) nestled in the folds of the Dhahar.
This rich natural and cultural heritage explains why Gabès was one of the first tourist hubs in our country (along with Tozeur). This destination was promoted on the European market from the beginning of the 20th century as an ideal product for "wintering," or a prolonged stay during the European cold season. We had this product until that fateful year of 1972. (To be continued)
