Financial Times, Wall Street Journal

QTEL CONSORTIUM BUYS ORASCOM’S TUNISIAN STAKE

Orascom Telecom has agreed to sell its 50-percent stake in Tunisiana, Tunisia’s largest mobile phone operator, for USD1.2 billion to a consortium including Qatar Telecom and Tunisian investment firm Princesse Holding. QTel will make the acquisition through its majority-owned Wataniya Telecom unit, which already owns 50 percent of Tunisiana. A spokesman said that Qtel's recent USD2.75-billion bond offering would not be used to finance the acquisition.