This Extractivism Policy Brief 02/2025 shows:
- Communities demand a fair share. Local populations in Gafsa call for a direct role in managing and benefiting from phosphate revenues.
- The unclear relationship between the Tunisian state and the phosphate industry undermines transparency and weakens public accountability.
- Top-down agendas fail the grassroots: National and international priorities overshadow local needs, with promised development largely undelivered.
- Phosphate dependency traps Tunisia. Continued reliance on a single extractive sector risks reinforcing economic dependency and social stagnation.
The Author
Rebeka Gluhbegovic is a PhD student at the Center for Conflict Research at Phillips University Marburg. She is working on the economic impact of extractivism on social actors with a focus on phosphate mining in Gafsa, Tunisia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Rebeka was a visiting researcher at the Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) and has been involved in various research projects dealing with transitional justice in Tunisia and South Africa.
Link to PDF: Download Extractivism Policy Brief 02/2025 (ENGLISCH)
