Governance

AFRINIC instability impacts African internet operations

AFRINIC’s board dysfunction has led to disruptions in IP allocation and service response delays. Network operators are calling for external oversight to restore functional governance. What happened: Board paralysis drags on as operators wait for resources AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry (RIR…

AuthorBTW Editorial

Reading Time2 min

PublishedJuly 7, 2025

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Headline

Context

AFRINIC’s board dysfunction has led to disruptions in IP allocation and service response delays. Network operators are calling for external oversight to restore functional governance.

Evidence

Pending intelligence enrichment.

Analysis

AFRINIC , the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa, continues to face an extended governance crisis, stemming from controversial board elections and alleged procedural violations. Internal disputes have triggered delays in critical operations, including the approval of IP address allocations and the resolution of support tickets. The situation has worsened since key leadership roles remain unfilled following contested elections. Concerns have surfaced around the involvement of AFRINIC staff in influencing the nomination process and the lack of transparency from the Nominations Committee. The Ministry of ICT in Mauritius, where AFRINIC is based, has also been accused of undue interference in its governance. Operators have complained of weeks-long delays for routine resource requests, affecting both small and large ISPs across the region. Delays in IP assignments and resource ticketing issues are already impacting service rollout plans. Also read: AFRINIC elections 2025: ICANN is ‘inappropriate’, ‘unreasonable’ and ‘irresponsible’

Key Points

What happened : Board paralysis drags on as operators wait for resources
Why it’s important

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