Business, Mobile, MENA / Africa: China Mobile Communications (CMC) has bought the Nasdaq-listed Swedish-controlled Millicom International Cellular.

No purchase price for Millicom International Cellular has been disclosed but CMC, only the second-highest bidder, won out after top bidder Dubai-based Investcom withdrew - after it was in turn taken over, by a US$5.5 billion swoop by South Africa's MTN.

As reported elsewhere on Developing Telecoms, Central and Eastern Africa are forecast to be major growth hotspots for cellular, particularly Sudan and Congo (DRC).  Ownership of Africa's cellular operators is complex and the companies appear to be jockying for position.

South African mobile operator Viacom (jointly owned by Telkom and Vodafone) operates in DRC; Celtel, owned by Kuwait's MTC, also has a foothold, while Oasis, owned by Millicom, and Congo Chine, a partnership between Chinese equipment maker ZTE and the DRC government, also have licences.