Tunisia works with China in response to chemical plant protests

Tunisia has reportedly sought help from Chinese experts to reduce the number of toxic gases being emitted by the Gabes chemical plant according to The Arab Weekly on 20th October.

The Gabes complex is one of the biggest phosphate processing plants in Tunisia. In recent weeks, the site has come under fire from the general public of Tunisia who claimed the plant to be responsible for spewing toxic gases and poisoning the local community, with reports of school children struggling to breathe in their classrooms due to the staggering levels of pollution output by the plant. Local campaign group, Stop Pollution. protested in the streets demanding the plant be shut down.

Tunisian authorities reacted to the protests, arresting 70 Tunisians who were present at the demonstrations. It was reported that president, Kais Saied, made a statement announcing that the situation was under constant assessment as the cabinet worked towards quick solutions.

Their decision to seek help from Chinese experts appear to be a part of these plans Saied had previously mentioned, reflecting what is claimed to be an Eastern turn for Tunisia’s allyship’s beyond their usual Western relations.

Tunisia’s minister of equipment, Salahy Zouari, unveiled that they had begun discussions with the Chinese ambasaador, Wan Li, in Tunis on 18th October in order to reintegrate the Gabes chemical plant. As quoted from Zouari, they were looking at “the possibility of rehabilitating production units in the Shatt al-Salam area, treating gas emissions and leaks, eliminating their causes and ending environmental pollution in the region.”

While this announcement of Chinese collaboration surrounding the Gabes chemical complex served to soothe the growing political unrest, protests have remained uninterrupted for the past week in Gabes. Closing the chemical plant immediately introduces new dilemmas such as hundreds of workers facing job insecurity.

Ultimately, the current situation continues to unfold as the government moves towards pragmatic and realistic responses to the pollution in Gabes.

The Arab Weekly, Maghrebi.org