AFRINIC
ICANN CEO wants to take AFRINIC out of Africa
ICANN’s push to de-recognise AFRINIC has raised concerns of a quiet power grab that could undermine Africa’s internet autonomy.
Headline
ICANN’s push to de-recognise AFRINIC has raised concerns of a quiet power grab that could undermine Africa’s internet autonomy.
Context
The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) , the Mauritius-based Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for managing IP addresses across Africa, is teetering on the edge of collapse. On 23 June 2025, a long-awaited board election, meant to restore stability after years of governance chaos, was abruptly annulled over a single unverified proxy vote. This decision, made by court-appointed receiver Gowtamsingh Dabee, discarded hundreds of valid ballots, sparking outrage among AFRINIC’s members and deepening distrust in its governance. The Supreme Court of Mauritius, where AFRINIC is headquartered, extended the deadline for a new election to 30 September 2025, but the damage was done: AFRINIC’s unworkable election standards have cemented its reputation as a failed registry. Enter the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global overseer of internet domain systems. ICANN seized on AFRINIC’s turmoil, issuing a series of letters in June and July 2025 that threatened a compliance review under the newly ratified ICP-2 document . This document, adopted in December 2024, grants ICANN unprecedented power to derecognise RIRs deemed non-compliant with global standards.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
ICANN’s CEO, Kurt Lindqvist, a Swede with a career rooted in European internet governance, has been vocal in his criticism of AFRINIC. His 3 July letter to Dabee cited “shocking allegations” of electoral misconduct, while a 16 July open letter to Mauritius’s government warned that AFRINIC’s failures could jeopardise its role as Africa’s RIR. ICANN’s actions, however, have sparked backlash for undermining Mauritius’s judicial authority, particularly after the Supreme Court rejected ICANN’s June attempt to delay the election. Also read: EXPOSED: The letter that reveals who was really benefitting from AFRINIC’s lawsuits ICANN’s threat to derecognise AFRINIC raises a chilling prospect: Africa’s IP allocations could be managed by other RIRs, such as ARIN (North America), RIPE NCC (Europe), or APNIC (Asia-Pacific). This would mark an unprecedented shift, stripping Africa of control over its digital infrastructure. Lindqvist’s Euro-centric background— Lindqvist served as CEO of the London Internet Exchange (LINX), a leading operator of worldwide interconnection services, from 2019 to 2024. Prior to this, he was CEO of Netnod from 2002 to 2015. Lindqvist also chaired the European Internet Exchange Association (Euro-IX) from 2003 to 2020, which underscores his long-standing leadership in Internet infrastructure organizations.—has fuelled suspicions that ICANN’s agenda prioritises global control over regional autonomy.
Key Points
- ICANN accused of overreaching and undermining African court decisions
- IP address allocation in Africa may shift to foreign hands if AFRINIC is de-recognised
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
