- Mauritian court interventions in AFRINIC’s governance have created ongoing legal uncertainty.
- The annulment of the June 2025 vote and court-appointed receivers highlight challenges in member governance.
Ongoing governance disputes and legal uncertainties at AFRINIC
AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, remains locked in a prolonged governance crisis. Public records from Mauritian courts and AFRINIC’s own filings confirm ongoing disputes over board elections, court-appointed receivers, and the annulment of a June 2025 vote. Statements from ICANN have highlighted the legal uncertainty created when a Mauritian court extended a receiver’s mandate and nullified election results. Within this environment, some reports have circulated claims that lawyers with past disciplinary issues may be advising parties in the dispute. These allegations appear to stem from ambiguous references to “senior legal consultants” or individuals previously removed from company directorships, which is distinct from a formal disbarment by a professional legal body.
Also read: AFRINIC claims ‘website not hacked’ amid election-period concerns
Also read: The long-term risks of legal deadlock for Africa’s internet growth
Implications for rule of law and member governance
Mauritius’s decision to annul a member-based election and empower a court-appointed receiver raises serious constitutional questions under the Mauritius Companies Act, which governs non-profit entities like AFRINIC. Observers warn that when government instruction overrides membership votes, the core principle of bottom-up internet governance is undermined, setting a dangerous precedent for other Regional Internet Registries.
For AFRINIC’s members, the priority remains restoring lawful elections, reaffirming compliance with the Companies Act, and ensuring that all legal representation—whether internal or external—meets professional regulatory standards. References to disbarred lawyers aside, the larger, documented issue is the erosion of rule-of-law safeguards in Africa’s critical internet infrastructure.
