The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), the continent’s cornerstone in internet infrastructure, now stands at a breaking point. Governance failures, legal disputes and geopolitical pressures have pushed it toward institutional collapse. To secure Africa’s digital future, a continent-wide recommitment to reform, sovereignty and resilience is urgently needed.
Since its founding in 2005, AFRINIC has played a pivotal role far beyond allocating internet protocol (IP) addresses and number resources – it provides critical internet infrastructure services, including Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI), Domain Name System (DNS) root server coordination, and capacity-building programmes that secure Africa’s routing integrity and operational resilience.
Yet today, AFRINIC is grappling with a crisis that threatens its very existence – an institutional breakdown fuelled by legal battles, governance gaps and rising geopolitical tensions. As someone who has followed this story from both inside and outside – most notably through my previous commentary, “AFRINIC case narration and the way forward” I find myself returning to the same questions raised by the broader internet governance community: what went wrong, and how can we fix it? The answers lie not only in technical solutions but in reclaiming African digital sovereignty before it’s too late.
AFRINIC at a crossroads: More than just IP allocations
AFRINIC’s mandate has always been broader than resource distribution – it is a custodian of Africa’s internet security and stability. However, in recent years, its legitimacy has come under intense scrutiny, most publicly through a protracted legal conflict with Cloud Innovation, a resource holder accused of diverting African-allocated IPs outside the region. The dispute escalated into asset freezes, court injunctions and the appointment of a receiver, crippling AFRINIC’s operations and eroding trust in its governance.
The tension isn’t just legal – it’s existential. The case exposed systemic weaknesses:
- Lack of safeguards against resource hijacking and institutional capture
- Inadequate financial and legal resilience to withstand external pressures
- Fragmented stakeholder engagement, leaving AFRINIC vulnerable to geopolitical influence.
A warning from ICANN: Governance reform is non-negotiable
In May 2025, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) issued a carefully worded communique reaffirming AFRINIC’s status but with a clear ultimatum: reform or risk derecognition. The message coincided with ongoing revisions to Internet Coordination Policy 2 (ICP-2), the policy framework governing Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). Proposed updates include:
- Stricter accountability measures against “disproportionate control” by single entities
- Explicit procedures for RIR derecognition if governance fails
- Stronger checks on stakeholder legitimacy, ensuring fair representation.
These warnings were echoed and intensified in ICANN’s 25 June 2025 letter to AFRINIC’s court-appointed receiver, Gowtamsingh Dabee, following fresh allegations of electoral fraud during the AFRINIC Board elections held on 23 June 2025. ICANN expressed grave concern over forged proxies, unauthorised voting and procedural inconsistencies that may have compromised the integrity of the election process. The letter demanded urgent answers to 13 specific governance and procedural questions and formally placed AFRINIC on notice – warning that continued irregularities may trigger compliance actions under the ICP-2 framework. ICANN made it clear that certifying the disputed election results would be "firmly opposed" unless the concerns were fully addressed. This escalation marks a decisive moment: ICANN has shifted from caution to active oversight, signalling the growing risk of AFRINIC losing its recognition as the continent’s sole RIR.
Geopolitics and algorithmic sovereignty: What comes next
The AFRINIC crisis has grown beyond a simple governance challenge – it now lies at the intersection of geopolitics, digital sovereignty and global internet stewardship. The 2021 Cloud Innovation dispute, involving a resource holder with external affiliations, became increasingly entangled with the actions of international internet governance entities. This dynamic has raised broader concerns about whether Africa’s RIR is being subjected to uneven scrutiny due to its regional context and institutional vulnerabilities.
On 19 June 2025, the Supreme Court of Mauritius dismissed the motion by ICANN to reconstitute AFRINIC’s Nominating Committee, stating that the applicant lacked legal standing (“locus standi”) and describing the request as “inappropriate,” “unreasonable,” and beyond the jurisdiction of the court. The court did, however, require a communique clarifying that the listing of Cloud Innovation as a registered member in national company records was made in error – an issue separate from AFRINIC’s internal governance.
In response, ICANN signalled public acceptance of the ruling, while maintaining concerns over the integrity of the election process. Its carefully worded statements suggest a strategic shift toward more direct engagement with African stakeholders and closer monitoring of ongoing reforms within AFRINIC. While the concerns raised are understandable, the implementation of reform must align with Africa’s institutional mechanisms and legal frameworks. True accountability stems not from external mandates, but from internally anchored and representative governance.
This is why the proposed model – where the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) assumes a co-governance role – is vital. ATU’s involvement offers a foundation of continental legitimacy, reinforcing AFRINIC’s independence through shared oversight, not control. Africa must protect its digital infrastructure not by resisting global engagement, but by embedding governance firmly within the continent’s democratic, legal and institutional systems. As the Smart Africa Alliance has helped consolidate ICT priorities across the region, AFRINIC too must be restructured on the basis of collective African responsibility.
A vision for reestablishment: Five key reforms
Rather than discuss AFRINIC’s possible derecognition, we must focus on reestablishment – rooted in stronger governance, legal resilience and pan-African legitimacy. Here’s how:
- ATU-led oversight: Establish a co-governance model where AFRINIC answers not just to members but to African governments via the ATU, ensuring alignment with continental digital agendas.
- Governance renewal: Reform bylaws to prevent capture by vested interests, enforce term limits and ensure transparent elections.
- Legal and financial fortification: Create a sovereign-backed legal defence fund to prevent litigation paralysis and diversify revenue streams beyond membership fees.
- Operational decentralisation: Build a distributed operational model with backup registries across multiple jurisdictions to ensure continuity.
- Community-centric participation: Establish permanent advisory roles for African internet network operators’ groups (NOGs), academic institutions, and civil society in AFRINIC’s governance processes – not only as contributors but as formal stakeholders.
Conclusion: Our internet, our responsibility
Africa’s digital future cannot be outsourced. AFRINIC was created by Africans, for Africa – and its survival is non-negotiable. If it collapses, the continent risks losing control over its own internet infrastructure, becoming a bystander in global governance.
We stand at a pivotal moment. The choice is between reclaiming agency or surrendering to fragmentation and irrelevance. With collective resolve, transparent reform, and ATU’s leadership, we can rebuild AFRINIC into a resilient, sovereign institution – one that not only survives but thrives.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 envisions a digitally empowered continent. Rebuilding AFRINIC is not just about saving a registry – it’s about securing that vision, together.
If we fail, history will write its own conclusion. And I fear the title of my next article will not be a roadmap for progress, but an obituary: “RIP AFRINIC.” Let us ensure it never comes to that.