- Cloud Innovation says AFRINIC governance has collapsed beyond reform
- Proposes RIPE NCC or ARIN take over under ICP-2 procedures
What happened: Cloud Innovation calls for liquidation of failed registry
Cloud Innovation Ltd has launched a formal call to dissolve the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC). AFRINIC is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for managing IP address resources across 54 African nations. Cloud Innovation holds over six million IPv4 addresses—one of AFRINIC’s largest member in terms of address allocation.
In a public statement, Cloud Innovation argues that AFRINIC has become unfixable citing years of institutional failure, board dysfunction, and election irregularities. The company says that despite having invested legal, financial, and organisational resources to support reform efforts since 2019, “every attempt has failed.”
AFRINIC has not had a legitimate board of directors since 2022. In June 2025, under court supervision, AFRINIC held its first election in three years—but the results were annulled due to disputes over proxy voting and alleged procedural violations. Cloud Innovation, a key supporter of holding that election, described the annulment as “devastating” for governance, as it proved that “no future election can be considered final.”
Shortly after, ICANN issued an open letter warning that AFRINIC’s continued dysfunction could lead to the loss of its recognition as an RIR. ICANN’s CEO Kurt Lindqvist expressed “deep concern” over AFRINIC’s ability to function neutrally and transparently, citing proxy voting abuse, branding misuse, and unauthorised access to member data. The Number Resource Organization (NRO) echoed this position, stating that AFRINIC must meet its obligations to the global internet community or risk being derecognised.
Also Read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up
Also Read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up after ‘impossible’ election standards
Why it matters
AFRINIC’s collapse threatens Africa’s entire internet infrastructure. As the body in charge of allocating IP addresses and ASN numbers, AFRINIC plays a critical role in broadband development, ISP operations, and network governance. Without a functioning registry, new allocations could be frozen, transfers halted, and infrastructure deployments delayed.
Cloud Innovation stresses that the issue is no longer about reform, but about replacement. It is now advocating for a court-supervised dissolution of AFRINIC, with its operational responsibilities transferred to another existing RIR through ICANN’s ICP-2 process. The ICP-2 framework outlines how a new or replacement RIR should be selected and recognised. According to Cloud Innovation, this is the only path that would avoid a chaotic and uncoordinated collapse of internet resource management across the continent.
The company proposes that ICANN and the NRO designate a capable and neutral RIR—such as RIPE NCC or ARIN—to temporarily or permanently manage African resources. This would ensure service continuity, protect African stakeholders, and buy time for the community to explore a possible “AFRINIC 2.0” with stronger safeguards and international oversight.
While critics have expressed concern about a non-African registry overseeing African addresses, Cloud Innovation counters that AFRINIC was itself created by ICP-2 from parts of the RIPE NCC and ARIN regions, and that a return to such oversight would not be unprecedented. It also notes that a replacement RIR should guarantee African representation in its policy processes and technical services.
Cloud Innovation has already submitted a legal petition to the Mauritian courts to begin the liquidation process. It pledges full cooperation with ICANN, the NRO, and the interim registry to ensure that no African operator is left behind. The firm frames its action not as disruptive, but as protective—a necessary step to secure trust, stability, and future growth.
As the global internet community considers the proposal, the case underscores an uncomfortable reality: when accountability breaks down, even cornerstone institutions like RIRs can—and sometimes must—be replaced.
