Tunisia U-turn on phosphate plant stirs outrage

Tunisia’s government has reversed its 2017 pledge to close a polluting phosphate plant in Gabes, AFP reports. Instead, it plans a fivefold production boost by 2030 to revive hard currency earnings, amid the country’s deepening debt crisis. Residents of the southern city accuse the facility of poisoning their air, sea, and soil, while medical studies link its toxic and radioactive waste to severe health problems. The U-turn comes amid Tunisia’s deepening debt crisis, with President Kais Saied framing phosphate as a national economic pillar.

Gabes residents, including 74-year-old Cherifa Attia, blame the factory’s emissions for cancers and chronic illnesses, and environmental activists warn the consequences will worsen. The plant, employing 4,000 directly, is vital in a city with high joblessness, complicating calls for closure. Hundreds have recently protested demanding clean air, with one local lamenting: “The state gets the money and we get diseases.” Officials declined AFP’s requests for comment.