What the AFRINIC election crisis signals for the multistakeholder model of internet governance in Africa

• AFRINIC’s “unworkable election standards” and governance collapse have eroded trust in Africa’s IP resource management.
• Cloud Innovation, the third-biggest member, is leading the charge to dissolve AFRINIC and demand a new RIR appointment.

AFRINIC election annulled amid governance collapse

AFRINIC, Africa’s regional internet registry, has plunged deeper into crisis following the annulment of its election over an “unverified proxy dispute.” This decision led to the discarding of valid votes, demonstrating the registry’s unworkable election standards and governance irreparably broken. The move has sparked widespread concern over Africa’s IP resource management, digital infrastructure, and connectivity future.

Longstanding mismanagement and alleged corruption under previous directors have culminated in a registry that cannot be trusted to govern Africa’s IP resources. AFRINIC’s failure to conduct fair or democratic elections, combined with its inability to resolve internal disputes, has effectively rendered the institution a “failed registry.”

Cloud Innovation Ltd., AFRINIC’s third-biggest member, has responded decisively, launching a formal call to dissolve the registry. Their intervention is framed as a necessary reset to salvage Africa’s critical internet resources, ensuring continuity and restoring trust. The company has demanded that ICANN and the NRO immediately appoint a new RIR to take over AFRINIC’s functions.

Also read: AFRINIC’s hidden scandal: How legal fees exposed a culture of corruption
Also read: Proxy voting reforms for AFRINIC: What a fair model should look like

Implications for Africa’s internet governance

The AFRINIC crisis signals a broader threat to the multistakeholder model of internet governance in Africa. By allowing governance to collapse, the registry has weakened bottom-up oversight and left the continent vulnerable to external interventions. ICANN’s attempted moves to influence AFRINIC leadership, including the ICP-2 compliance document, demonstrate a quiet power grab that bypasses established multistakeholder processes, further eroding trust in regional autonomy.

Cloud Innovation’s push for a formal wind-up of AFRINIC illustrates that decisive action by legitimate members is necessary to protect Africa’s IP resources. Restoring effective governance through a new, accountable RIR is essential to preserve the integrity of the continent’s digital infrastructure and reaffirm the principle of bottom-up internet governance.

Ultimately, the AFRINIC election crisis is a stark reminder that without oversight, transparency, and accountability, regional registries risk collapse, leaving critical internet resources in jeopardy and Africa’s digital sovereignty under threat.