The « Stop Pollution » collective, working for a better quality of life in Gabès, announced in early 2026 that the mobilization against chemical pollution in Gabès will continue until the dismantling of the polluting units of the Tunisian Chemical Group.
The collective stated in a press release that the environmental crisis in Gabès has persisted for over 53 years, hindering development and destroying the foundations of a decent life in this unique region. It added that industrial chemical activity has devastated the Gulf of Gabès, wiping out 93% of its marine biodiversity and negatively impacting the only maritime oasis in the Mediterranean, in addition to depleting water resources, worsening public health, and spreading dangerous diseases.
“Stop Pollution” also recalled that the year 2025 was marked by unprecedented popular movements and a large mobilization on the ground affirming the opposition of the inhabitants of Gabès to all kinds of coexistence with pollution.
Peaceful movements to solve the problem
These movements began in April 2025 in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy in Tunis, then on May 23, 2025 in front of the headquarters of the Governorate of Gabès, following the Council of Ministers of March 5, 2025, which adopted a series of decisions implicitly renouncing the decision to dismantle the polluting units of the GCT taken in June 2017, by doubling production related to the transformation of phosphate, by setting up green hydrogen and green ammonia industries and by removing phosphogypsum from the list of dangerous substances.
These movements reached their peak in October, following a wave of unusual and dangerous gas leaks from the chemical group that caused more than 300 cases of asphyxiation among students and miners.
The group clarified that the Gabès governorate is still awaiting a political decision to implement the 2017 ruling concerning the dismantling of polluting facilities and to decide on the urgent case brought before the courts by the regional bar association, with the aim of ending the operations of these facilities. This case has been postponed until January 8, 2026, after a series of previous postponements.
Calling on all active forces and all citizens to continue the mobilization against pollution in Gabès, the collective considered that giving up the fight would be to reproduce the same crime against the environment and the region.
Active since 2012, the « Stop pollution » collective defends the right of the Gabès region to a healthy environment and advocates for the eradication of all forms of pollution and the change of the regional development model.
