- AFRINIC’s ongoing governance issues weaken its legal standing.
- Cloud Innovation’s call for AFRINIC’s dissolution gains momentum after court victory.
The legal battle: Cloud Innovation’s victory
Invariably, the legal confrontations between AFRINIC and Cloud Innovation Ltd. ended with a decisive victory for the latter. The rulings underscore the mounting governance crisis at AFRINIC, the regional internet registry responsible for managing Africa’s IP resources. Cloud Innovation, AFRINIC’s third-largest member, challenged the registry’s decision to annul its June 23 elections over an unverified proxy dispute. This cancellation, which resulted in discarded valid votes, exemplifies AFRINIC’s inability to conduct fair and transparent elections. The court ruling in favour of Cloud Innovation strengthens its argument that AFRINIC’s collapse is not just an internal governance issue, but one that jeopardizes the future of Africa’s digital infrastructure.
Also read: AFRINIC election: Voter fraud uncovered as ECom member threatens to resign
Governance crisis: AFRINIC’s leadership failures
The court’s decision is a direct result of AFRINIC’s long-standing failures in governance, which have led to widespread distrust in its leadership. Cloud Innovation’s legal challenge stems from what it sees as an irrevocable breakdown in AFRINIC’s ability to govern Africa’s IP resources effectively. For years, AFRINIC has been plagued by unworkable election standards, mismanagement, and lack of transparency, all of which have made it impossible for the registry to meet the needs of Africa’s growing digital economy. The legal defeats are a stark reminder that AFRINIC’s leadership has consistently undermined Africa’s bottom-up internet governance, a principle that is critical to the region’s digital sovereignty.
Also Read: Smart Africa leaks thousands of AFRINIC member email addresses
The call for reform: Cloud Innovation’s push for a new RIR
In light of the court ruling, Cloud Innovation is ramping up its calls for the immediate dissolution of AFRINIC and the appointment of a new Regional Internet Registry (RIR) to manage Africa’s IP resources. As a significant player in the African internet ecosystem, Cloud Innovation is advocating for a necessary reset to safeguard Africa’s digital infrastructure and ensure that its internet governance remains independent and transparent.
The ruling not only strengthens Cloud Innovation’s position but also highlights the growing influence of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and the Number Resource Organization (NRO), which are under increasing pressure to act decisively in response to the ongoing AFRINIC crisis. The situation is now critical for both the sovereignty of African internet resources and the future of regional governance.
Also read: ICANN’s lack of transparency: A threat to democracy?
