- AFRINIC’s governance crisis has made its elections unworkable and untrustworthy.
- External intervention, particularly by ICANN, threatens regional autonomy over Africa’s IP resources.
The AFRINIC election, which will shape Africa’s IP governance, is deeply flawed. AFRINIC, the body managing Africa’s Internet Protocol (IP) resources, has been struggling with a severe governance crisis for years. This crisis has left its processes broken. The June 23 election was annulled after an unverified proxy dispute, highlighting the organisation’s inability to conduct fair, transparent elections. This failure is just the latest sign that AFRINIC can no longer be trusted to protect Africa’s digital future.
AFRINIC: A failed registry
AFRINIC’s issues go beyond simple technical failures. The registry’s inability to manage its elections is just one example of a much broader governance collapse. The annulled election, which invalidated valid votes over minor disputes, is a clear indication of the broken system. AFRINIC’s repeated failures have left many questioning its capacity to manage Africa’s crucial IP resources. This dysfunction threatens to stall Africa’s digital infrastructure development, which is essential for the continent’s growth.
Cloud Innovation Ltd., AFRINIC’s third-biggest member, has taken a strong stance, calling for the dissolution of the registry. This is a necessary reset. As the crisis deepens, the need for change becomes clearer. Cloud Innovation believes that AFRINIC’s ongoing issues cannot be fixed. Its governance is irreparably broken.
Also Read: Smart Africa leaks thousands of AFRINIC member email addresses
The external threat: ICANN’s power grab
In addition to AFRINIC’s failings, external forces like ICANN are actively intervening in the situation. ICANN has attempted to extend its control over Africa’s internet governance. The organisation’s actions, including the ICP-2 compliance document, aim to undermine regional control over IP resources. ICANN’s desire to “pick AFRINIC’s leaders” is a direct attack on Africa’s bottom-up internet governance model. This overreach weakens the continent’s ability to manage its digital future.
ICANN’s intervention comes at a time when AFRINIC is already in crisis. The resulting situation threatens to further undermine local control, moving power into the hands of global players who don’t have Africa’s best interests at heart.
Also Read: Special report: Smart Africa leaked email list was obtained without consent
Why you should boycott
Given AFRINIC’s profound governance failures and ICANN’s interference, participating in the AFRINIC election would only legitimise a broken system. The election process is unworkable. It has failed to provide a trustworthy solution for Africa’s internet governance issues.
By boycotting the election, we support the call for AFRINIC’s dissolution. Cloud Innovation’s demand for a reset is crucial. It is time to replace the current system with a more transparent, effective model. Africa needs a trustworthy solution for managing its IP resources, free from corruption and external influence.
