AFRINIC

Mauritian court to hear AFRINIC liquidation petition amid governance crisis

AuthorFei Wang

Reading Time3 min

PublishedJuly 23, 2025

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Headline

Context

The future of the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) is at a crossroads as the organisation faces a petition for liquidation in Mauritius. Cloud Innovation Ltd has filed for the winding-up of AFRINIC, seeking the appointment of a liquidator to dissolve the organisation. This petition comes in the wake of ongoing legal disputes over AFRINIC’s governance, particularly regarding its ability to hold a legitimate election following years of leadership instability. Also read: Who is Prabha Divanandum Chinien? The role of the Mauritius Registrar of Companies

Evidence

Pending intelligence enrichment.

Analysis

Also read: AFRINIC is now a ‘declared company’ – what does that mean? The primary catalyst for the petition is the long-standing governance deadlock within AFRINIC. In June 2025, the organisation attempted to hold a board election after years of leadership vacuum, only to have it annulled by a court-appointed receiver due to a contested proxy vote. The annulment of the election over a single vote has raised concerns about the organisation’s ability to function effectively. As Cloud Innovation argues , the situation has created an unsustainable governance environment, with each election at risk of potential invalidation by similar disputes. This uncertainty undermines the credibility of AFRINIC’s election process and risks perpetuating a cycle of unresolved disputes. Also read: EXPOSED: The letter that reveals who was really benefitting from AFRINIC’s lawsuits The situation has attracted the attention of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which officially recognises AFRINIC as the regional Internet registry for Africa. ICANN has voiced serious concerns over AFRINIC’s governance, warning that the election irregularities and lack of transparency could jeopardise its ability to manage IP address resources for the continent. In a public statement, ICANN indicated that if these issues were not addressed, it would be forced to withdraw its recognition of AFRINIC. Such a move would not only undermine AFRINIC’s authority but could also disrupt the stability of Africa’s internet infrastructure.

Key Points

AFRINIC faces a petition for liquidation in Mauritius, filed by Cloud Innovation Ltd due to ongoing governance issues.
A recent election was annulled by a court-appointed receiver, raising concerns about AFRINIC’s ability to hold legitimate elections.
Cloud Innovation supports AFRINIC’s liquidation to transition responsibilities to a more stable governance framework, with ICANN warning of the potential withdrawal of recognition.