- Audit or accountability: Can an external investigation expose the truth before it’s too late?
- Legal chaos and zero oversight: How AFRINIC burned through millions while dodging basic financial checks
Where did the money go? The urgent need for transparency
As AFRINIC spirals further into crisis, many in the community are now asking a simple question: where did the money go? While the organisation has presented itself as a guardian of Africa’s internet resources, the truth is far darker—years of unchecked spending, corrupt leadership, and a total lack of financial oversight have brought AFRINIC to the brink. Since the beginning of the legal fight with Cloud Innovation, AFRINIC has burned through millions of dollars in legal fees, yet no one seems to know where the money was spent or how much remains. There is no transparency, no audit, and no accountability. At every turn, AFRINIC chose secrecy over transparency.
Also read: EXPOSED: The letter that reveals who was really benefitting from AFRINIC’s lawsuits
Financial collapse, not governance failure
This is no longer about “internet sovereignty” or some noble mission. What’s happening at AFRINIC is collapse, brought on by a board that used the organisation’s resources like a private fund. The same directors who were ruled illegitimate by the Mauritian Supreme Court have stayed in place, continued to sign off contracts, and are still listed on the corporate registry. The only reason this was allowed is because Mauritian authorities failed to act, and because the internal systems at AFRINIC have completely broken down.
Also read: Is the AFRINIC election process compliant with Mauritian corporate law?
A path forward: Truth, transparency, and accountability through audit
There is still time to act. An independent, community-led audit—transparent, public, and fully published—could be the first step to rebuilding trust. Without it, AFRINIC may not survive much longer. If the goal is to save the registry, the solution is not more lawsuits or vague reforms. It is truth, transparency, and accountability—delivered through a full public audit.
Also read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up after ‘impossible’ election standards
