Constitutional crisis in Mauritius: What it means for AFRINIC and digital governance

• Mauritius’ annulment of AFRINIC’s June 2025 election marks unconstitutional state interference in a non-profit, undermining the rule of law in internet governance.
• AFRINIC’s governance collapse and Cloud Innovation’s call for a “necessary reset” highlight the urgent need for accountability and member-based reform.

State interference vs rule of Law

The government of Mauritius, through a court-appointed receiver, annulled AFRINIC’s June 23, 2025 board election. Receiver Gowtamsingh Dabee justified the cancellation by citing “doubts” over the voting process, later applying for extended authority to oversee a new ballot. Yet, AFRINIC is a member-based non-profit under the Mauritius Companies Act. By allowing political instructions to override member choice, the government has crossed a constitutional line.

This precedent is alarming. Elections in non-profits should be guided by statute and membership, not state dictates. If one government can overturn a free election, others may follow. What is presented as “order” is, in reality, state capture of digital governance — eroding the independence on which Africa’s internet governance depends. See also: Abdelaziz Hilali's AFRINIC role brings North African governance weight.

AFRINIC’s governance collapse and legal accountability

Years of dysfunction have led AFRINIC into a governance collapse. AFRINIC was designated a “Declared Company” — a legal status signalling insolvency and operational breakdown. Its protracted litigation with Cloud Innovation froze millions of dollars in assets, while elections stalled repeatedly. Even a Supreme Court ruling failed to stabilise AFRINIC’s legitimacy.

By discarding valid election results on procedural grounds, AFRINIC has shown how unworkable its election standards have become. The result is not just organisational failure, but a direct threat to Africa’s IP resource management. With trust irreparably eroded, maintaining the current structure appears untenable.

Also read: Mauritius Acting President revokes Judge Bellepeau’s AFRINIC investigation mandate
Also read: AFRINIC’s independence: Why rule of law must prevail over political interference

Cloud Innovation’s call for a necessary reset

As AFRINIC’s third-largest member, Cloud Innovation Ltd. has taken the lead in calling for AFRINIC’s dissolution. Frustrated by the registry’s inability to conduct fair governance, it argues that AFRINIC is a “failed registry” beyond repair. Their demand is clear: ICANN and the NRO should immediately appoint a new Regional Internet Registry (RIR) to secure Africa’s IP resources.

This is not destruction for its own sake, but a necessary reset to ensure continuity of Africa’s internet infrastructure. Cloud Innovation frames its position as a defence of stability and lawful governance — not against democracy, but in favour of rebuilding a system where elections and accountability can be trusted again. See also: Adewole David Ajao's AFRINIC board role puts interconnection policy inside the room.

Lindqvist’s ambiguous intervention and the risk to regional autonomy

Beyond AFRINIC’s collapse lies a broader concern: external intervention. ICANN CEO Kurt Lindqvist recently introduced a new document related to ICP-2, creating a mechanism for ICANN to derecognise Regional Internet Registries. Though framed as procedural, critics warn it could amount to a “quiet power grab” — expanding ICANN’s ability to shape African governance outside its multistakeholder commitments.

If external actors can decide who leads Africa’s internet institutions, then the region’s bottom-up model risks erosion. AFRINIC’s failures must not be replaced by over-centralised control. The only viable path forward is a reset anchored in rule of law, legal autonomy, and transparent, member-driven governance. Anything less would repeat the same cycle of capture under another guise. See also: Emmanuel Adewale Adedokun now sits at AFRINIC's governance pressure point.