- Cloud Innovation’s call to wind up AFRINIC has sparked concern, debate, and pushback across the internet governance landscape.
- Global and regional stakeholders stress reform over dissolution, warning of major risks to Africa’s internet stability.
The proposal that shook African internet governance
Cloud Innovation, one of AFRINIC’s largest resource members, recently called for AFRINIC to be wound up, citing alleged governance failures, legal mismanagement, and service breakdowns. The company argued that AFRINIC’s continued operation endangers Africa’s internet ecosystem and proposed that ICANN and the NRO oversee the establishment of a successor registry. This unprecedented demand has sparked intense debate among network operators, governance bodies, civil society, and global stakeholders.
Also read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up after ‘impossible’ election standards
Also read: Cloud Innovation supports ICANN’s move to derecognise AFRINIC, calls for successor to be immediately identified
ICANN urges reform but stops short of intervention
ICANN acknowledged the seriousness of AFRINIC’s governance challenges but has so far declined to support dissolution. In public statements, ICANN stressed that regional internet communities should address problems through internal reforms, not through replacement. ICANN also warned that dismantling AFRINIC would carry major operational risks, including delays in IP allocations and potential service instability.
The NRO’s cautious backing of AFRINIC
The Number Resource Organization (NRO), which represents all five RIRs, reaffirmed its support for AFRINIC’s role but recognised the need for improvements. The NRO encouraged local actors to use the established multistakeholder process to address concerns, reflecting a desire to avoid setting precedents that could unsettle global internet governance
ISPs divided but worried about service impact
Among African ISPs, reactions are mixed. Some smaller operators privately express frustration with AFRINIC’s slow service, inconsistent governance, and lack of accountability. Others, particularly larger players, warn that dissolving the registry could trigger serious operational fallout. The thought seems to be that AFRINIC needs deep reform, but also continuity. Simply shutting it down would hurt everyone.
Civil society calls for accountability and dialogue
African digital rights groups and civil society organisations have added their voices to the debate, urging all parties to prioritise dialogue over escalation. Groups such as Paradigm Initiative and Internet Society Africa have warned that institutional collapse would harm not only the tech sector but also educational institutions, small businesses, and underconnected communities. Their message: fix the problems, but don’t burn down the house.
The larger questions for African internet governance
Cloud Innovation’s proposal has drawn global attention to the fragility of Africa’s internet governance institutions. It raises uncomfortable questions: how much failure is too much? When does reform stop being enough? And what is the cost—technical, economic, and social—of replacing a core institution?
While the global internet community leans toward cautious reform, the concerns raised by Cloud Innovation have placed new pressure on AFRINIC’s leadership to deliver meaningful change.
