Orange has announced that it has completed the acquisition of 100% of Liberian mobile operator Cellcom.

The announcement comes less than three months after Orange signed the agreement with Cellcom Telecommunications Limited for the acquisition of its Liberian subsidiary, via Orange Côte d'Ivoire.

Cellcom Liberia has 1.4 million customers, says Orange.

The telco says Liberia will become the 20th country in Africa and the Middle East to join the Orange group.

"With a population of 4.3 million people and relatively low mobile penetration rate (66% of the population), the country has a high-growth potential for Orange," reads a statement from the telecommunications firm.

Orange says the acquisition forms part of its international development strategy, which aims to accelerate growth by entering new emerging markets with high potential.

The latest acquisition follows a series of similar announcements by the telecommunications firm, including Airtel subsidiaries in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, as well as Millicom's DRC subsidiary.