Tunisia gets violent over landfills
Corruption over rubbish collection is undermining the government
IT WAS DIFFICULT to tell the smells apart. For months the town of Agareb, near Tunisia’s coast, had reeked of rubbish because of an overflowing landfill. In September the authorities closed the site, which residents were calling a danger to public health. But this month, after trash had piled up in the streets, it was reopened. Protesters cried foul and on November 10th clashed with security forces. Along with the stench of tear-gas and garbage, a new smell filled the air: burning tyres.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Bad smells everywhere”
From the November 20th 2021 edition
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