Tunisians protest outside court during phosphate pollution case

Tunisia’s protests are continuing in Gabès in front of a court, as the authorities examined a complaint against a factory, which has reportedly impacted the environment and the health of local residents, according to the New Arab and agencies on November 13th.

Inside the court, authorities were examining the complaint that accused the factory of widespread pollution, and considered whether they should move forward with the suspension of its activities. Tunisians were protesting outside of the court to express their frustration over the factory, and to remind the authorities of the impact of its activities on them.

Locals of Gabès have continuously rallied over the past few weeks. Residents of the southern coastal city have demanded the Tunisian government to shut down the phosphate processing plant, which is reportedly behind many of their health problems and a recent increase in gas poisonings that sparked the protests.

The complaint was filed by the local bar association, which seeks to halt the factory’s activities. Lawyers of the pollution case have added that the hearing of the complaint was adjourned to November 20th.

The head of the association, Mounir Adouni, said that during the court hearing, they provided evidence of the factory’s negative impact, which they qualified as a crime against the city. Adouni also added that the evidence they provided was more than sufficient to support their complaint.

Protesters were angry to see what was happening to their city. A protester said that they were tired of the health related issues that are caused by the factory, and that key sectors such as agriculture and the region’s sea resources had also deeply suffered due to the pollution.

According to Al Jazeera, Gabès is Tunisia’s hotspot for cancer, respiratory diseases and other health issues which reinforces the concerns raised by the residents of the city.

The current government has responded to the ongoing concerns, and said that the people responsible for the pollution will be held responsible for their actions. A partnership with China was presented as a solution to accelerate the restoration and modernisation efforts of the processing plant.

However, the president, Kais Saied, even wanted to increase the factory’s production fourfold by 2030 to benefit from the rise in prices and demand for phosphate-based products. But the issue is not limited to Tunisia, with North African countries containing major phosphate reserves. 

The New Arab and agencies, Al Jazeera, Maghrebi.org