- 2025 board elections annulled amid alleged procedural breaches
- Stakeholders fear AFRINIC no longer operates within legal bounds
What happened: AFRINIC repeatedly broke its own bylaws
The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa, is under mounting scrutiny after a series of bylaw violations came to light—many linked to the 2025 board election and its invalidation.
However, this incident is just one part of a wider pattern. As reported earlier, AFRINIC has also refused to recognise valid voting proxies, inconsistently applied eligibility rules, and ultimately annulled the 2025 board election over what critics call a “technicality”—a single unverified proxy. This came despite a Mauritian court ruling affirming the election’s legitimacy.
AFRINIC’s Official Receiver, appointed amid financial and legal turmoil, rejected the results and refused to seat elected board members. The registry is also facing multiple ongoing legal challenges for ignoring judicial orders, further straining its reputation.
Also read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up after ‘impossible’ election standards
Also read: EXPOSED: The letter that reveals who was really benefitting from AFRINIC’s lawsuits
Why it’s important
AFRINIC is responsible for distributing internet number resources—like IPv4 addresses—across the African continent. Its ability to perform that role rests on trust, neutrality, and transparent governance. But with valid votes discarded, judicial orders dismissed, and elections derailed, many now question whether AFRINIC retains the legal or moral authority to govern Africa’s internet infrastructure.
Observers have drawn sharp contrasts between AFRINIC and its more stable counterparts such as RIPE NCC and APNIC, which have largely avoided governance crises. Critics has gone so far as to call the situation a “governance crisis beyond repair”.
If no functional alternative is proposed soon, Africa’s IP management risks fragmentation. Some operators are already considering bypassing AFRINIC entirely. The longer this dysfunction persists, the more realistic—and urgent—the prospect of AFRINIC’s dissolution becomes.
