There has been much fanfare around Ethiopia’s plan to liberalize its telecoms market, as international players eye the diminishing number of markets that have not already opened up to new entrants. However, the country’s recent suffering from renewed civil conflict and the pandemic have dampened enthusiasm, and only two bidders actually emerged for the two new licences on offer, despite two extensions to the original deadline of December 10 2020. Those bidding to compete with incumbent Ethio Telecom highlight the role strategically-placed Ethiopia tends to play in wider geopolitics. One is South Africa’s MTN, backed by China’s Silk Road Fund; the other is a consortium led by Vodafone, but backed by US and UK financing. The funds come from a…