US vs CHINA

Ethiopia: Tensions aflame after first telecoms licence went to US-backed consortium over China

By Joël Té-Léssia Assoko, Quentin Velluet
Posted on Monday, 14 June 2021 15:37

Ethiopia has selected a consortium backed by US investors. The move has given rise to numerous contradictory statements.

‘A new front’ or even ‘a war of proximity’ is taking place between Washington and Beijing, one that is creating ‘a new hitch’ in the ‘deal of the century’. From the pages of the Wall Street Journal to the columns of the French press, the Ethiopian telecoms sector’s liberalisation – one of the most divisive battles within the industry in Africa over the past decade – has turned into a surprising ideological and geopolitical battle, open to the most varied interpretations.