Benin has stripped Telecel of its GSM mobile licence for failing to pay a licence fee increase, and handed sole control of the licence to Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat), a minister said.

Telecel was 51 percent owned by Etisalat with the remainder in the hands of a local company, Sarci-Benin, which was unable to meet the 30 billion CFA franc ($65 million) increase in the licence fee agreed in September, Communications Minister Desire Adadja said. - Reuters