AFRINIC elections 2025: Everything you need to know

• AFRINIC, the internet registry for Africa, is about to reveal the results of some long-awaited elections to reconstitute its board, which was disbanded in 2022 amid legal disputes, operational paralysis, and stalled IP allocations.
• The election results will bring some much-needed clarity and operational oversight to an organisation that for years has struggled with corruption and mismanagement.

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AFRINIC election 2025

The Regional Internet Registry for Africa – African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) – has just completed a much-awaited election to recreate its board and find a CEO. How did AFRINIC, such a vital part of the internet ecosystem for such a vast continent, lose its board and chief operating officer?

The story is a long one, that goes back several years to when its then existing board was accused of mismanaging its IP resources and of abusing and bullying its staff.

Follow the article below to discover the context that has led up to this seminal moment – the AFRINIC elections 2025 – in Africa’s internet history.

AFRINIC’s origin and core mission

AFRINIC, which stands for, was formed in October 2004. It started full operations in February 2005 in Ebene, Mauritius. ICANN gave it final approval in April 2005. AFRINIC is one of five Regional Internet Registries in the world. It manages IP addresses for 54 countries in Africa. This includes IPv4, IPv6, and ASNs. AFRINIC also runs services that help the internet work better. These include the WHOIS database, Internet Routing Registry, and tools that protect networks like RPKI. It also supports reverse DNS and DNSSEC. AFRINIC holds training sessions and workshops. These help internet service providers, governments, telecom companies, banks, and universities improve their systems.

The goal of AFRINIC is to share number resources in a fair and open way. It lets members suggest new rules. These suggestions are shared in public meetings. Members talk about them and then vote. AFRINIC follows this process to make sure everyone can take part. AFRINIC speaks for Africa in global internet meetings. These include ICANN, the Number Resource Organization, and the Address Supporting Organization. AFRINIC works with the other four RIRs. These are ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, and LACNIC. They share ideas and help each other.

Also read: AFRINIC elections set, voters urged to ‘Reclaim Your Power’
Also read: AFRINIC elections 2025: ICANN is ‘inappropriate’, ‘unreasonable’ and ‘irresponsible’

Emerging crisis: Legal battles and resource freeze

Starting in 2021, AFRINIC became embroiled in lawsuits with organisations including Cloud Innovation Ltd, which held about 6.3 million IPv4 addresses. AFRINIC attempted to reclaim some allocations due to policy infractions; this triggered legal action in Mauritian courts that led to frozen bank accounts. By early 2025, the court had placed AFRINIC under receivership, appointing lawyer Gowtamsingh Dabee as Receiver. His mandate includes managing the registry’s day‑to‑day operations and organising board elections.

The freeze severely disrupted IP address issuance, affecting African ISPs and network operators, who reported delays and service disruptions. It also left AFRINIC dysfunctional at the board level, unable to officially govern or represent itself in external affairs.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court of Mauritius reaffirmed the receivership on June 19, 2025, dismissing challenges from ICANN and Tanzania’s ISP association (TISPA), and confirmed that in‑person voting planned for June 23 should proceed as intended.

Governance failures and scandals

Beyond the legal turmoil, AFRINIC has seen severe internal governance breakdowns. Since around mid‑2022, it has had no functioning board or CEO, leading to a leadership vacuum. Internal audits revealed misuse of approximately 4.1 million IPv4 addresses by a senior executive, allegedly diverted for private gain or abusive purposes like spam and cybercrime. Sex‑harassment allegations dating from 2018 also tarnished the organisation, although those were later dismissed.

The NRO publicly urged reforms and stronger accountability – even accusing AFRINIC of abusing its authority for “neo‑colonial” intervention, a move which further split opinion in RIR communities.

Africa’s regional Internet governance is on the brink of collapse … now they want to close regulatory loopholes.

Monika Ermert, Journalist at Heise

Pop quiz

What is the main role of AFRINIC in the African internet ecosystem?
A. Operating mobile networks
B. Selling cloud storage
C. Managing IP number resources
D. Hosting online content platforms

The correct answer is at the bottom of the article.

2025 election impasse: Contested authority and timeline

The Receiver announced online voting for June 16‑18 alongside in‑person voting on June 23, but ICANN and TISPA sought to bar the election, citing procedural irregularities, candidate eligibility rules, and the registration of Cloud Innovation as a member—arguing that AFRINIC should not advance election plans amidst the legal uncertainty.

On June 19, Mauritius’s Court of First Instance dismissed these interdict proceedings, finding ICANN had no legal standing and emphasising the elections’ urgency. Voters are expected to elect at least five board members and vote on critical policy and governance reforms during the June 23 in‑person session.

Also read: AFRINIC election: 2nd attempt to delay voting fails
Also read: Lu Heng, LARUS CEO, on AFRINIC elections: Clique control must end, decentralisation will ensure democracy

Lu Heng: The reformist from LARUS

Lu Heng is a key figure. He founded LARUS and Cloud Innovation, and in 2021 launched the Number Resource Society (NRS). He has been advocating for decentralisation and transparent governance. His slogan, “Clique control must end, decentralisation will ensure democracy,” criticises AFRINIC’s status quo as serving entrenched elites.

NRS-backed policy proposals include clear legal IP ownership for resource holders, elimination of arbitrary membership dues, financial openness, and transforming IP allocation into a transparent registry — with AFRINIC acting as a secure registrar while holders retain usage rights. They also promote a potential “IP resource market” to formalise transactions.

Lu Heng’s philosophy symbolises broader member-led calls for structural change, with some seeing this moment as vital to resurrect AFRINIC as a fair and functional registry.

Clique control must end, decentralisation will ensure democracy.

Lu Heng, CEO of LARUS

What AFRINIC reform means for Africa’s future

IP Resource Flow and Network Stability

Resolving the legal impasse would restore IP issuance to African ISPs, governments, and research institutions. This is fundamental to internet growth, as IPv4 shortages and IPv6 transition delays currently impede network infrastructure rollouts.

Democratized governance

Clean, community-involved elections, supervised by independent bodies, can restore voting legitimacy. If Lu Heng and like-minded reformers win seats, this may revive trust and repeals concentration of resource control by a few powerful insiders.

Capacity-building and cybersecurity

AFRINIC has long held training workshops on network security, RPKI, routing hygiene, DNSSEC, and IPv6 deployment. With stable governance, these programmes can continue at pace — upskilling local engineers and improving internet resilience across the continent.

Global engagement and policy influence

A stable, transparent AFRINIC can assert Africa’s interests in ICANN, IANA, the NRO, and RIR collective dialogues. With stronger capacity and legitimacy, AFRINIC could engage more proactively in global policy debates and attract technical partnerships.

Also read: 8 men hoping to lead AFRINIC into the future
Also read: ICANN’s role in AFRINIC elections faces scrutiny, claims of interference

Forward steps and possible reforms

Stronger procedural checks in ICP‑2

International internet governance experts (e.g., Heise) have argued that AFRINIC’s challenges resulted from inadequate global oversight — rules that let a regional registry act unilaterally, bypassing checks. Reforming ICP‑2 frameworks to mandate inter‑RIR accountability may prevent repeat occurrences.

IP escrow mechanism in legal dispute

A dedicated escrow system would allow critical IP resources to be held and allocated during court cases — preventing freeze-related gridlock while questions are resolved.

Independent audits and financial transparency

AFRINIC should commission regular audits of financial statements, resource allocation logs, and election procedures. Summaries should be publicly posted with explanation.

Election system reform

Adopting distributed voting with third-party oversight, anonymous vote encryption, and candidate funding transparency could boost credibility. AFRINIC may learn from APNIC’s model, which uses external firms to run board elections.

Peer‑networking with other RIRs

Temporary caretaker roles by ARIN, RIPE NCC, and APNIC experts could mentor AFRINIC staff during reform periods. This would help re‑implant good practices and ease member concerns.

Key moments and metrics to monitor

Key moments and metrics to watch include the results of the June 23 vote. People will look at who wins and if any candidates from the Number Resource Society or other independent groups get seats. This will show if members want big changes in leadership. The first board meeting after the vote will also be important. The board will need to unlock AFRINIC’s bank accounts. They will also need to start giving out IP addresses again and decide when to hold the summer policy meeting. Another thing to watch is whether the receiver removes limits on how AFRINIC shares resources.

If those limits go away, AFRINIC can start working as normal. People will also watch how the community reacts. If internet service providers and other members in Africa say service has improved after July 2025, that will be a good sign. One more thing to check is if AFRINIC creates an outside group to audit its actions or builds a safe escrow fund to protect IP addresses before the end of 2025. These steps will help show that AFRINIC is moving in the right direction.

AFRINIC is facing governance challenges which need to be addressed with some urgency… A free and fair AFRINIC election requires an effective activation of the AFRINIC membership and community towards informed participation

John Curran, Chair, NRO Executive Council

Looking ahead: AFRINIC’s path to recovery and reform

Looking ahead, AFRINIC’s future depends on the result of the June 23, 2025 election. The organisation has faced years of legal trouble, frozen bank accounts, and no working board. If the election happens and a board is formed, AFRINIC can begin to fix its problems. The new board must open the bank accounts, restart the process of giving out IP addresses, and make sure members trust the system again. The court in Mauritius chose a receiver to manage AFRINIC and said that the election should go on. The court also rejected ICANN’s request to stop the vote. This shows that the solution may now come from inside the region.

he new leaders must check how money is spent, keep public records, and follow fair rules. This is important because Africa needs more internet services. More people are going online, and more companies need IP addresses. AFRINIC must be ready to support this growth. The board must also deal with past mistakes, fix how decisions are made, and give all members a fair voice. Many in the community want simpler rules, faster services, and fewer delays. If the board listens and acts, AFRINIC can be stable again. Members will watch closely. Many want to see changes soon.

FAQ

1. What is AFRINIC and what does it do?
AFRINIC (African Network Information Centre) is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for allocating and managing IP addresses (IPv4, IPv6) and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) in Africa. It also provides technical services like WHOIS, RPKI, reverse DNS, and capacity‑building programmes.

2. Why is AFRINIC currently facing a crisis?
AFRINIC has been involved in legal disputes over IP address allocations, most notably with Cloud Innovation. These lawsuits led to frozen bank accounts, the absence of a functioning board, and the appointment of a court‑appointed Receiver to manage operations and elections.

3. Who is Lu Heng and what is his role in AFRINIC’s future?
Lu Heng is the CEO of LARUS and founder of Cloud Innovation. He advocates for decentralisation, transparency, and member‑led governance. He has been a vocal advocate to shift from established leadership patterns and enter a new era of transparency and fairness.

4. What will happen if AFRINIC governance is not restored?
If AFRINIC remains in crisis, Africa’s IP address allocation could face further delays, affecting internet expansion, digital infrastructure, and cybersecurity. It may also weaken Africa’s influence in global internet governance.

5. When will AFRINIC hold its next board election?
AFRINIC is scheduled to hold in‑person board elections on June 23, 2025. This follows a legal ruling that allowed the court‑appointed Receiver to organise the vote after online voting was postponed due to procedural challenges.

Quiz answer

C. Managing IP number resources