A Senegalese business watchdog has suspended a contract between national telecommunications provider Sonatel and US group Global Voice amid suspicions of irregularities, a report has said.

The weekly La Gazette said on its website that the Public Markets Regulation Agency acted after an anonymous whistleblower drew attention to the contract terms.

Sonatel lodged a complaint that it had been wronged, La Gazette said, adding that 'irregularities are presumed.'

The deal providing for Global Voice to manage incoming international telephone traffic had been suspended pending approval by the finance ministry, it said.

Sonatel staff staged a strike on August 5 in protest against the contract, disrupting fixed line and mobile communications as well as access to Internet and emails.

Senegal's National Union of Post and Telecommunications said the move could lead to fraud and have a negative impact on prices for international calls.