- AFRINIC’s structural and governance failures have left Africa’s IP resource management in urgent need of a trusted, operational steward.
- Cloud Innovation’s ICP-2 transition proposal offers continuity, but Kurt Lindqvist’s new compliance powers raise concerns over regional autonomy.
Africa’s registry in freefall
AFRINIC’s governance collapse has laid bare deep institutional decay. The annulment of the June 2025 board election—despite hundreds of valid ballots—exposed unworkable election standards and confirmed that internal checks are insufficient. With no functional board or CEO, and court receivership dragging on, the very notion of AFRINIC accountability is now in question.
Also Read: How AFRINIC’s board elections became a political battlefield
Also Read: Why AFRINIC’s fallout has global implications for internet governance
Cloud Innovation’s ICP-2 transition appeal
Cloud Innovation’s call to initiate ICP-2, where an established RIR such as RIPE or ARIN would take over AFRINIC’s duties, seeks to preserve continuity in Africa’s IP management. This proposal is a measured interim step, not a push for a brand-new registry, yet it underscores the fragility of AFRINIC’s legal and operational infrastructure.
Kurt Lindqvist’s expanding influence
A new ICANN compliance document—linked to ICP-2 but not identical—grants authority to de-recognize RIRs, raising concerns from regional stakeholders about weakening bottom-up internet governance in Africa. While framed as a stability measure, critics caution it could enable centralized influence, especially as it bypassed customary multistakeholder review.
Also Read: ICP-2 revamp: Everything you need to know
Also Read: ICP-2: ASO targets September for overhaul of RIR governance rules
Legal mandates without legitimacy
The AFRINIC crisis demonstrates that legal mechanisms like court oversight or ICP-2 are insufficient without trust and legitimacy. Without a transparent and inclusive transition process, Africa risks trading a broken system for one with diminished autonomy. True reform must be grounded in structural accountability, not merely legal authority.
