Government Committee Concludes Mission to Assess Environmental Crisis in Gabès
The government committee tasked with evaluating the situation has completed its mission after collecting testimony from residents and civil society actors. The final report, once submitted to President Kaïs Saïed, is expected to enable swift action to address this crisis.
Ongoing Protests in Gabès
Residents of Gabès continue to sound the alarm over unbearable pollution levels. A large number of them demonstrated on Wednesday to demand the "dismantling of the polluting units of the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT)," while President Saïed closely monitors the situation and works to find a lasting solution.
Joint Investigation Team Deployed
The Gabès region, considered a major industrial hub in southern Tunisia, has faced difficulties related to GCT emissions for several years. On Wednesday, October 15, hundreds of citizens participated in a peaceful protest march, highlighting the persistence of environmental concerns in the region. This action follows recent cases of asphyxiation and poisoning recorded in Ghannouch and Chott Essalem. According to local sources, several people, including students, were treated by civil protection services after experiencing symptoms attributed to industrial emissions.
President Saïed's Personal Involvement
Aware of the gravity of the situation, President Saïed is personally overseeing this dossier, ensuring that a suitable solution is found that respects both the environment and the region's economic balances. To this end, the President received the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Energy, Fatma Thabet Chiboub, and the Minister of Environment, Habib Abid, at the Carthage Palace on Saturday, October 11. He instructed them to immediately send a joint team from the two ministries to the GCT phosphoric acid plant in Gabès to carry out necessary interventions as soon as possible.
Call for Urgent Action
President Saïed reaffirmed that he is personally monitoring the situation on the ground, citing several irregularities, including maintenance, operation, and technical control of equipment. He lamented the non-compliance with expert deadlines set by accredited specialists, which contributed to the recent gas leaks. Emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach, the President called for the rapid development of a strategic plan to definitively end the environmental disasters affecting the region. This plan, he specified, should draw inspiration from the initiative developed over a decade ago by the youth of Gabès. Given the gravity of the situation, Kaïs Saïed stressed that no negligence will be tolerated, affirming that any failure or attempt at instrumentalization, whether internal or external, will be firmly sanctioned.
Measures to be Implemented Soon
The joint team from the Ministries of Industry and Environment has already begun a series of inspection operations at the Gabès chemical complex since Monday, October 13, 2025. This mission aims to assess the state of production units and identify potential technical or environmental dysfunctions. The situation is accelerating, and MP Thamer Mazhoud announced in a media statement that the committee tasked with evaluating the site has completed its mission after collecting testimony from residents and civil society actors. The final report, once submitted to President Kaïs Saïed, is expected to enable swift action to address this crisis. The environmental situation, which he described as catastrophic in Gabès, has been ongoing for about fifty years, he added.
Need for Rapid and Sustainable Measures
These measures must now be rapid and sustainable to restore a balance between economic development and environmental protection. The pollution in Gabès, which has been poisoning the daily lives of its inhabitants for a long time, remains one of the country's most sensitive environmental files. Therefore, concrete measures and action are expected to be announced, commensurate with the anger of the people of Gabès. Moreover, it is pointless to try to manipulate public opinion and instrumentalize their anger, especially from those who, during the dark decade, did not take any measures to curb this crisis.
