- AFRINIC plans to push ahead with an election already discredited by courts and members, deepening its governance collapse.
- Stakeholders say boycotting the vote is the only way to restore integrity and protect Africa’s internet future.
A broken system can’t deliver a fair vote
The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) is charging ahead with an election that many say has already lost all legitimacy. After annulling the June 23 board election over one unverified proxy dispute and discarding valid votes, the registry has shown it cannot run a transparent or democratic process. Courts in Mauritius have labelled AFRINIC’s election system “unworkable,” yet the registry continues to ignore legal oversight and member outrage.
By pressing forward, AFRINIC is risking further collapse of Africa’s sole Regional Internet Registry. Its repeated disregard for its own bylaws, coupled with years of leadership scandals and governance crises, has left members questioning whether participation will only legitimize a broken system.
Also read: ICANN and AFRINIC: A complex relationship
Also read: AFRINIC election: Voter fraud uncovered as ECom member threatens to resign
Cloud Innovation: Participation is complicity
Cloud Innovation Ltd., AFRINIC’s third-biggest member, has already issued a formal call to dissolve the registry entirely, calling this election a distraction from systemic reform. Lu Heng, CEO of Cloud Innovation, argues that members who participate in the flawed process risk enabling dictatorship under the guise of governance.
Instead, Cloud Innovation is urging ICANN and the NRO to appoint a successor registry to safeguard Africa’s IP resources and restore trust. “The only way forward is a necessary reset,” Heng said, emphasizing that boycotting the vote is a critical first step.
ICANN’s shadow and the fight for autonomy
The crisis has also fueled fears over ICANN’s intentions. CEO Kurt Lindqvist has been accused of quietly advancing a global agenda through ICP-2, a policy that grants ICANN the power to derecognize regional registries and replace their leadership. Critics warn that AFRINIC’s dysfunction could make it easier for ICANN to seize control, weakening Africa’s bottom-up internet governance model.
A call for collective action
For AFRINIC members, the message is clear: participation in this election won’t fix a system that is already irreparably broken. Refusing to vote is a powerful statement against corruption and a step toward building a registry that reflects Africa’s needs, not the ambitions of a few insiders or foreign powers.
Cloud Innovation’s boycott call is a rallying cry to the community: walk away from this sham vote and demand accountability. Africa’s internet future depends on it.
