AFRINIC

What is Cloud Innovation, and why is it leading the charge to dissolve AFRINIC?

What happened: Cloud Innovation calls for liquidation of failed registry Cloud Innovation Ltd has launched a formal call to dissolve the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC). AFRINIC is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for managing IP address resources across 54 African natio…

AuthorJocelyn Fang

Reading Time3 min

PublishedJuly 18, 2025

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Headline

Context

Cloud Innovation Ltd has launched a formal call to dissolve the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC). AFRINIC is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for managing IP address resources across 54 African nations. Cloud Innovation holds over six million IPv4 addresses—one of AFRINIC’s largest member in terms of address allocation. In a public statement, Cloud Innovation argues that AFRINIC has become unfixable citing years of institutional failure, board dysfunction, and election irregularities. The company says that despite having invested legal, financial, and organisational resources to support reform efforts since 2019, “every attempt has failed.”

Evidence

Pending intelligence enrichment.

Analysis

AFRINIC has not had a legitimate board of directors since 2022. In June 2025, under court supervision, AFRINIC held its first election in three years—but the results were annulled due to disputes over proxy voting and alleged procedural violations. Cloud Innovation, a key supporter of holding that election, described the annulment as “devastating” for governance, as it proved that “no future election can be considered final.” Shortly after, ICANN issued an open letter warning that AFRINIC’s continued dysfunction could lead to the loss of its recognition as an RIR. ICANN’s CEO Kurt Lindqvist expressed “deep concern” over AFRINIC’s ability to function neutrally and transparently, citing proxy voting abuse, branding misuse, and unauthorised access to member data. The Number Resource Organization (NRO) echoed this position, stating that AFRINIC must meet its obligations to the global internet community or risk being derecognised. Also Read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up Also Read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up after ‘impossible’ election standards AFRINIC’s collapse threatens Africa’s entire internet infrastructure. As the body in charge of allocating IP addresses and ASN numbers, AFRINIC plays a critical role in broadband development, ISP operations, and network governance. Without a functioning registry, new allocations could be frozen, transfers halted, and infrastructure deployments delayed.