• AFRINIC’s annulment of its board election deepens governance distrust.
  • Cloud Innovation urges ICANN to appoint a new RIR to protect Africa’s IP resources.

A crisis escalates over internet governance in Mauritius

The long-running governance breakdown at the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) has intensified into a full-blown crisis. This small island registry, meant to manage Africa’s internet resources, has been paralysed by years of disputes and an inability to conduct fair elections. The June 23 board election was annulled over a single unverified proxy dispute, discarding valid votes and eroding trust in the organisation’s governance. Observers see this as proof that AFRINIC’s democratic processes have become unworkable.

The dispute has drawn attention beyond Mauritius, as control over Africa’s internet protocol (IP) resources is critical for the continent’s connectivity and digital infrastructure. Cloud Innovation, AFRINIC’s third-biggest member, has been leading the call for the registry to be dissolved. They argue that the governance crisis is so severe that a complete reset is necessary, urging ICANN and the Number Resource Organisation (NRO) to appoint another regional internet registry to take over.

Also read: EXPOSED: The letter that reveals who was really benefitting from AFRINIC’s lawsuits
Also read: Mauritian judge barred from investigating AFRINIC amid pre-election turmoil

Implications for Africa’s digital future

AFRINIC’s collapse threatens Africa’s internet governance model and risks destabilising IP resource management across the region. Without a functioning registry, the allocation and maintenance of IP addresses could be compromised, affecting service providers and ultimately internet users. The crisis also raises questions about the balance of power between global governance bodies and regional autonomy.

ICANN’s involvement has sparked scepticism. Critics see its push to implement the ICP-2 compliance framework as a potential power grab, granting it unprecedented authority to derecognise regional registries. While ICANN has stepped back from openly threatening AFRINIC’s status, the underlying intent to expand its influence over Africa’s internet ecosystem remains a concern.

For Africa, the stakes are high. The resolution will shape not only the continent’s internet infrastructure but also its ability to maintain independent, bottom-up governance in the face of external pressure.