• AFRINIC’s failures cast a long shadow over Africa’s digital infrastructure and policy credibility.
  • RIPE NCC, APNIC and ARIN provide contrasting models of functioning regional internet governance.

AFRINIC dysfunction draws scrutiny as other RIRs maintain stability

AFRINIC’s ongoing legal and governance crisis has sharply diverged from the practices of other Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) such as RIPE NCC and ARIN, which maintain consistent electoral processes, member accountability, and financial disclosures. In contrast, AFRINIC’s June 2024 board election was annulled over a proxy dispute that observers described as “manufactured”, leading to valid votes being discarded and further eroding community trust. Critics now argue that AFRINIC’s internal rules are “unworkable” and serve only to delay much-needed change.

By comparison, RIRs like APNIC publish audited financial reports and enable bottom-up policy development with transparency. AFRINIC, however, has suspended elections multiple times since 2020 and failed to explain legal interventions or delays. Its secretariat has been accused of interfering with elections and bypassing due process.

Also read: Cloud Innovation supports ICANN’s move to derecognise AFRINIC, calls for successor to be immediately identified
Also read: ICANN’s quiet power grab: ICP-2 compliance document raises alarms amid AFRINIC crisis

AFRINIC’s failure shows why accountability in RIRs must be enforced

The AFRINIC case underscores a broader question in global internet governance: what happens when a regional registry collapses? While other RIRs adapt through structured membership participation and dispute resolution, AFRINIC has shown repeated breakdowns in oversight. Stakeholders now argue that ICANN’s unwillingness to act reinforces a dangerous precedent—where a failing registry remains operational despite violating democratic norms.

This situation threatens the technical and institutional credibility of Africa’s internet management. Cloud Innovation, AFRINIC’s third-largest member, has called for its dissolution, arguing that the registry’s governance failures render it irreparable. Without reform or replacement, Africa risks fragmentation in IP address allocation and loss of trust among global partners. RIRs cannot be above scrutiny—especially when failures impact the digital futures of entire regions.