On Thursday, a Tunisian court issued a decision rejecting a request to suspend the activity of the production units at the chemical complex in Gabès. While it considered that the pollution allegations are not supported by sufficient evidence, at a time when residents continue to complain about emissions and their health effects, amid governmental and international efforts to rehabilitate facilities and plans to increase fertilizer production in the coming years.
Published on: 02/26/2026 - 14:44 Last updated: 02/26/2026 - 15:04
A Tunisian court ruled to reject a lawsuit filed by activists to suspend the activity of the production units of the government chemical complex in Gabès Governorate, against the backdrop of accusations that it caused the emission of polluting gases that sparked widespread protests and health concerns among the population.
Lawyer Mounir Al-Adouni told Agence France-Presse, “The court considered that there was no evidence of harm.
She stated that the pollution allegations are unjustified and lack technical and scientific evidence.
In October, the governorate witnessed demonstrations in which tens of thousands of residents participated, demanding and condemning the gases released by the chemical complex in the air, which, according to them, caused cases of suffocation among schoolchildren near the complex.
The judiciary refuses to suspend the activity of the chemical complex in Gabès
The lawyers filed two lawsuits and requested a temporary halt to production pending a final decision regarding the closure of the complex. Al-Adoni said, "There is a second ongoing case related to the dismantling of the polluted units, but no session has yet been scheduled to consider it."
At the end of January, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group announced financing worth $110 million for a project to support environmental development and rehabilitate the production units of the Tunisian Chemical Complex.
Read also: Tunisia: A new demonstration in Gabès to demand the closure of a polluting chemical complex
The Tunisian authorities established the “Tunisian Chemical Complex” in 1972 on the coast of Gabes. But in recent years, it has turned into a "nightmare" for citizens and local environmental organizations due to increasing levels of marine and air pollution.
An ongoing environmental debate between residents and authorities
In 2017, the Tunisian government promised to stop its activity and dismantle it, but this did not happen.
The chemical complex manufactures fertilizers from phosphate, and dumps its solid waste (phosphogypsum, which contains heavy metals) into the sea and on the beach.
Tunisian President Kais Saied assigned a work team to find immediate solutions while awaiting strategic solutions in Gabès.
Phosphate mines concentrated in southwestern Tunisia constitute the country's main natural wealth and are a basic pillar of the economy.
The authorities aim to increase fertilizer production in Gabès five-fold by 2030, to reach 14 million tons annually.
France 24/AFP
Keywords related to the article
The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.
