AFRINIC Official Receiver reinstated, elections to go ahead by end of year

AFRINIC Official Receiver reinstated, elections to go ahead by end of year is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• The Supreme Court of Mauritius reinstated AFRINIC’s receivership, dismissing the organization’s appeal, and mandated board elections to be held before the end of 2024.
• The ruling tasks the Official Receiver with organizing the elections for a new board and CEO, a move welcomed by the Number Resource Organization (NRO) as a step toward restoring AFRINIC’s governance and functionality.

The Supreme Court of Mauritius has reinstated the Official Receiver for AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, opening the way for much needed elections to go ahead.

A statement on the AFRINIC website said: “This ruling restores the previous order appointing the Official Receiver and providing the Official Receiver with a two-month timeframe to organise the elections in accordance with AFRINIC’s constitution and complete the entire process from the date of this judgement.”

Also read: What is AFRINIC? The role and challenges of the African Regional Internet Registry
Also read: ICANN’s Africa DNS report barely mentions the AFRINIC problem

AFRINIC former director Benjamin Eshun lodged an appeal in September 2023, when the court placed AFRINIC, which maintains the database of IP addresses for the African continent, under receivership. Eshun claimed the appointed Official Receiver was not a suitable candidate due to his association with Cloud Innovation, which was involved in numerous lawsuits against AFRINIC.

The receivership was essentially put on hold while the appeal was examined, but this latest judgement returns AFRINIC to receivership status. The Official Receiver is now charged with organising an election for a new CEO and board of directors, after the last board and CEO was disbanded in 2022.

The Number Resource Organization (NRO), the coordinating body for the world’s Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), said it welcomed the decision. “The NRO views the ruling, which prioritize the importance of organizing elections, as a positive development,” said Oscar Robles-Garay, Chair of the NRO and commenting on behalf of the NRO Executive Council (NRO EC). “We look forward to the successful execution of elections which are fundamental to restoring AFRINIC’s governance and returning the organisation to full function.”