- Cloud Innovation urges ICANN and NRO to prepare a transition plan amid AFRINIC’s uncertain future
- Company raises concerns about operational continuity and potential risks to African networks
Proposal calls for proactive response to AFRINIC uncertainty
Cloud Innovation has issued a formal appeal for the “immediate designation of a successor Regional Internet Registry (RIR)” following the Mauritian government’s move to seek AFRINIC’s judicial liquidation. The company, one of AFRINIC’s largest members, warned that the current legal impasse could lead to severe disruptions in internet resource management across Africa if not addressed promptly.
The company pointed out that AFRINIC’s inability to operate legally or process transactions has already caused critical delays in service. Without a functioning board or executive authority, AFRINIC has remained inoperative for months. Cloud Innovation stated that a contingency plan must be developed in cooperation with ICANN and the Number Resource Organization (NRO) to ensure continuity in resource distribution and coordination.
Call for coordination with global bodies on transition
In its communication to ICANN and NRO, Cloud Innovation urged international internet governance bodies to begin preparing for a possible transition of AFRINIC’s responsibilities. While the future of AFRINIC remains in the hands of the Mauritian courts, the company emphasised that global internet stability demands pre-emptive coordination rather than reactive measures.
The suggestion did not specify which RIR should assume interim responsibilities, but it encouraged discussion around structured options that maintain service continuity. Cloud Innovation’s proposal has sparked wider debate in the African internet community, with some viewing the suggestion as timely given AFRINIC’s prolonged paralysis. Though the issue is sensitive, the need for clear planning in the event of a registry failure has become increasingly difficult to ignore.
Also read: Cloud Innovation supports ICANN’s move to derecognise AFRINIC, calls for successor to be immediately identified
Also read: ICANN’s quiet power grab: ICP-2 compliance document raises alarms amid AFRINIC crisis
Concerns over service reliability and governance gaps
With AFRINIC frozen, operators across the continent are left without essential registry services including IP address assignments, WHOIS updates, and abuse handling. Cloud Innovation noted that this situation, if left unresolved, could weaken the technical integrity of Africa’s internet infrastructure.
More broadly, the company questioned whether enough had been done at the global level to mitigate the risk of a complete RIR failure. The silence from ICANN and the NRO so far has raised concerns among several stakeholders, who say that contingency mechanisms should not depend on legal outcomes alone. The suggestion for interim planning reflects broader anxieties over operational continuity and trust.
Rethinking stability and accountability in regional internet governance
Cloud Innovation’s position raises uncomfortable but necessary questions about the future of regional internet governance in Africa. While RIRs are built on community self-governance, the AFRINIC case exposes the fragility of that model when institutional safeguards break down. The lack of a clear fallback plan could lead to long-term damage to Africa’s technical autonomy and operational reliability.
While some actors remain hesitant to involve external registries, others argue that structured international support—if temporary and transparent—may be necessary to prevent disruption. Cloud Innovation’s proposal reflects a broader concern that governance frameworks must evolve to handle crises before they spiral into full-scale failures. The request for clarity from ICANN and the NRO is not only about succession, but about preserving internet functionality at a moment of systemic uncertainty.
