Despite legal interventions and growing international attention, the crisis surrounding the African Network Information Centre (AfriNIC) continues to escalate. The much-anticipated board elections, scheduled for June 23, 2025, have been abruptly cancelled by court-appointed receiver Gowtamsingh Dabee.
AfriNIC has been in deep turmoil since 2020 due to a legal dispute over IPv4 address allocations with the Seychelles-based Cloud Innovation Ltd. (CI). In February 2025, the Supreme Court of Mauritius appointed Dabee to oversee the organization’s insolvency and instructed him to conduct elections for a new board by June 23. Out of an initial pool of 58 nominees, 41 candidates remained, with eight expected to form the new board.
Legal challenges mounted ahead of the vote. The Tanzania Internet Service Providers Association (TISPA) sought an injunction to delay the elections, citing procedural flaws. ICANN, though not a member of AfriNIC, also petitioned the court under Section 210 of the Insolvency Act 2009, demanding transparency and integrity in the election process. ICANN’s request was formally dismissed on grounds of lacking legal standing.
In a joint communiqué, AfriNIC and Dabee acknowledged that CI was mistakenly listed as a member due to a registration error by Mauritian authorities—a misstep that added further complications. While the court partially addressed membership clarity, ICANN expressed continued concern about the overall fairness of the elections.
Then, in a surprise move on June 26, 2025, Dabee announced the immediate annulment of the election process. No detailed reasoning has been provided, but the decision highlights the ongoing instability within AfriNIC and the fragility of its governance framework.
Looking ahead, the draft “RIR Governance Document” being developed by the Number Resource Organization (NRO) and the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) may play a critical role. It aims to enforce baseline standards for stability, financial independence, and nonprofit operations across all RIRs. However, the document has yet to be officially adopted.
The unfolding events at AfriNIC cast a stark light on the vulnerabilities within global internet governance and raise serious questions about institutional accountability in critical infrastructure management.
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