- Benjamin Eshun chaired AFRINIC during a turbulent period marked by lawsuits, board disputes, and community frustration.
- His continued legal actions and public involvement after stepping down have sparked debate over leadership accountability and governance recovery.
Who is Benjamin Eshun?
Benjamin Adzenyamebeye Eshun is a Ghanaian internet governance figure who served as chairman of AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, from 2020 to 2023. He came into leadership at a time when AFRINIC was already under pressure from policy disputes, member tensions, and legal battles, including those with major resource members like Cloud Innovation.
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A leadership marked by crisis
During Eshun’s time as chairman, AFRINIC faced an increasing wave of governance challenges. Disputed elections, delayed appointments, mounting lawsuits, and operational paralysis became defining features of his term. While some credited him with trying to steer AFRINIC through turbulent waters, others argued that under his leadership, the organisation failed to make meaningful progress on reforms or resolve internal divisions.
Legal interventions and extended influence
Eshun’s involvement did not end when his term expired. Even after leaving his formal position, he continued to file court appeals, challenge board decisions, and intervene in attempts to restore AFRINIC governance through elections. At one point, the Supreme Court of Mauritius dismissed his effort to appoint directors, viewing it as overreach. Critics have since portrayed him as an ex-leader unwilling to step aside, accusing him of prolonging AFRINIC’s governance crisis.
Community reactions
Within the African internet community, reactions to Eshun’s ongoing involvement have been mixed. Some view his persistence as motivated by concern for AFRINIC’s stability, while others see it as a personal power struggle that obstructs overdue reforms. Several members and observers, including groups like the Number Resource Society, have called for a clean break from past leadership, urging that the membership—not the courts or former chairs—must decide AFRINIC’s future through fair elections.
Why this matters for AFRINIC’s recovery
AFRINIC’s governance crisis has left African network operators, governments, and civil society worried about the future of IP address management on the continent. For AFRINIC to move forward, many stakeholders argue that both current and former leaders must allow transparent, community-led processes to take place. The continued influence of past figures like Benjamin Eshun is seen by some as a barrier to the fresh leadership and institutional renewal the organisation urgently needs.
