Guinea takes full control of Areeba Guinee after seizing MTN stake

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Operators; 15 December 2025; 10278 views

The Guinean government has acquired 100% of the shares in mobile network operator Areeba Guinee, following a decree signed by President Mamadi Doumbouya to take over MTN Group’s stake.

According to Ecofin Agency, President Doumbouya said in a national address that, under a new framework, the operator is now fully state-owned, governed by a new board of directors, and operating with renewed financial and managerial autonomy.

The acquisition brings to an end an interim arrangement established after the government first took over MTN’s shares in December 2024, during which Areeba Guinee continued operations under temporary management. Minority shareholders have also exited the company, a move that had been under consideration since the initial takeover.

The government had previously planned to launch Guinea Telecom, a new operator intended to replace the former state-owned and once-dominant market leader SOTELGUI. Guinea Telecom was scheduled to begin operations in early 2023, but the project faced delays due to challenges including legacy infrastructure issues. It remains unclear whether the government will proceed with these plans following the full acquisition of Areeba Guinee.

Ecofin Agency reports that authorities are now considering a potential merger between Areeba Guinee and Guinea Telecom, with one entity operating as a wholesale provider and the other serving as the retail, customer-facing operator.