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They seize upon any movement, regardless of its nature, attempting to inject the poison of chaos by fueling discord and turning popular anger away from its peaceful character.

Tunisia’s Muslim Brotherhood has yet to learn its lesson. Despite a series of setbacks and growing popular rejection over recent years, they persist in trying to steer public sentiment in hopes of creating any opening for unrest.

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While their political arm, the Ennahdha movement, continues its political decline, they pursue a strategy of hijacking events and exploiting spontaneous protests as leverage in their power struggle with President Kais Saied.

Recently, the Brotherhood-aligned “National Salvation Front” issued a statement supporting protestors in Gabès (southeast), who took to the streets to denounce the environmental situation in the governorate.

The front claimed to adopt “all the demands of residents who have suffered for decades from air and seawater pollution, which has led to a surge in cancer cases and deaths in recent years, in addition to the polluted sea.”

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They called for “a dialogue with civil society leading the state to fulfill its commitments in tackling pollution caused by phosphate refining industries, to protect public health”—even though Gabès’ environmental crisis dates back several decades.

Exploiting Social Movements

Observers believe Tunisia’s Muslim Brotherhood aims to exploit social issues to destabilize the country, forgetting they ruled from 2011 until July 25, 2021, and failed to address the very environmental problems now highlighted—particularly in Gabès.

Tunisian activist and political analyst Nabil Gouari stated:
“The people of Gabès have suffered for decades from pollution caused by the chemical plant.”

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He said that the locals “have demanded its closure since 2011, but Ennahdha ignored them and dismissed their concerns while in power, focusing solely on narrow partisan interests.”

“Now, however, they seek to hijack the situation and exploit any protest to sow disruption across the country,” he added.

He noted that “since 2011, Ennahdha has exacerbated social, economic, and political crises, undermining the environmental situation and Tunisians’ purchasing power.”

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According to Gouari, “Ennahdha is seeking to destabilize the country, continuing its policy of evasion and refusing to take responsibility for a decade of failures.” He concluded: “Tunisians have written them off, yet they continue to tamper with national stability.”

Manufacturing Crises

Tunisian activist and political analyst Abdelkarim Mahmoudi agrees, saying:
“Ennahdha was a key political player since 2011 and contributed significantly to the environmental degradation in Gabès, without offering solutions to local grievances.”

He said : “Now cornered by accusations of political assassinations, terrorism, state infiltration, conspiracy, and financial corruption, the movement plays the victim card and aligns itself with the suffering of Gabès residents.”

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He added: “The group seeks to manufacture any crisis in the country in hopes of stirring public outrage and regaining political relevance after its disappearance from the political stage.”

Just days ago, dozens of Tunisians demonstrated in Gabès (southeast) demanding the closure of the chemical complex, which has caused major environmental and health issues. They also voiced rejection of a proposed green hydrogen project in the area.

The “Stop Pollution” movement organized a protest outside the governorate building, chanting slogans like “Gabès is suffocating,” “We want to live,” and “Close the dump… Gabès is not a landfill,” referring to the severe damage caused by the chemical complex—commonly dubbed the “Death Complex.”

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Other slogans included: “No to Ammonia in Gabès” and “No to Hydrogen.”

Gabès residents have suffered from toxic gas leaks for over 50 years due to the chemical complex (a state-owned plant established in 1972), alongside the discharge of phosphogypsum directly into the Mediterranean Sea.

Phosphogypsum is a by-product of phosphate processed in Gabès, originally mined in the southern city of Gafsa.

For years, Tunisian authorities have attempted to resolve the environmental dangers posed by the Chott Essalem chemical complex in Gabès—without any success to date.

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