Afrinic, which serves as the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa and the Indian Ocean region, has been without a board or CEO for some time. The organization became mired in prolonged legal battles after Afrinic’s board, in 2021, attempted to reclaim millions of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses previously allocated to Cloud Innovation between 2013 and 2016. Afrinic claimed the Seychelles-based company misrepresented its intentions and failed to use the IP resources according to the terms of allocation.

Cloud Innovation responded with extensive litigation to prevent the repossession of these valuable digital assets. The legal battles crippled Afrinic’s operations, culminating in the Mauritian courts appointing a receiver to oversee its management and initiate board reconstitution.

Despite these efforts, elections meant to restore Afrinic’s leadership were plagued by serious issues. Voting was scheduled to take place between 16 and 23 June 2025, both electronically and in person. However, the voting process was marred by controversial rules and allegations of fraud. Among the contentious policies were stringent notarisation requirements, disqualification of newer members, and allowances for proxy voting via powers of attorney (POA)—a combination that many warned could invite abuse.

These warnings proved valid. On 23 June, the situation unraveled when individuals appeared for in-person voting holding over 800 POAs—alarming given Afrinic’s relatively small membership base of fewer than 2,400. In the past, even highly contested elections had fewer than 200 votes. Several members, including prominent Mauritian telecoms operator Emtel, reported that votes were cast using forged documents, prompting widespread concerns of electoral fraud. Under growing pressure from industry stakeholders, the receiver suspended and ultimately annulled the election.

This triggered a backlash from various organizations, including the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN CEO Kurt Lindqvist warned that Afrinic risked being derecognised as a legitimate RIR. In response, the receiver obtained a court order allowing a final extension for elections, with a new deadline set for 30 September 2025.

Despite this lifeline, Cloud Innovation declared the situation unsalvageable. “The events surrounding the election have shown that even the highest standards of document verification cannot prevent abuse,” the company said. “A credible election under current conditions is impossible, and Afrinic is trapped in a governance deadlock.”

Cloud Innovation expressed frustration that a single contested proxy vote was used to invalidate the entire election, thereby nullifying hundreds of legitimate votes. Although not explicitly named, the reference likely pointed to the widely reported forged POA involving Emtel. However, Afrinic members and the Internet Service Providers’ Association of South Africa (ISPA) disputed the claim, citing multiple instances of proxy abuse.

ICANN also questioned the receiver’s statement that only one POA was disputed, noting that numerous members had raised similar concerns. Cloud Innovation stated that its decision to seek Afrinic’s liquidation aligns with ICANN’s indication that derecognition could follow if governance issues persist. The company emphasized that while ICANN’s involvement aimed to protect the broader community, it inadvertently complicated the path to a timely solution.

https://trendsnafrica.com/massive-cable-network-being-laid-to-connect-african-continent/

Having reportedly spent millions on legal efforts to reform Afrinic, Cloud Innovation announced it could no longer justify further expenditure. “Our goal was always to reform Afrinic from within, through democratic processes,” the company said. “We regret that this approach has become unviable.” Cloud Innovation sees liquidation not as an end, but as a necessary step toward rebuilding a more accountable, transparent governance structure for Africa’s internet resource management.

Closing this chapter will enable the African Internet community to create a cleaner, more robust framework that better serves the continent’s digital future.