ICANN intervened in the affairs of AFRINIC, the regional internet registry serving 54 nations across Africa and the Indian Ocean. AFRINIC is based in Mauritius, where a Supreme Court order allowed ICANN to become a party to an application to wind up the registry. AFRINIC has faced turmoil, including internal corruption allegations and a long dispute with Cloud Innovation that led to receivership. After receivership, fresh elections were held in June 2025, but voting was suspended and the election was annulled due to allegations of unauthorized proxy votes. ICANN warned the receiver that the annulment could trigger a compliance review. Cloud Innovation then initiated legal action to dissolve AFRINIC and transfer responsibilities to a different framework, and ICANN rejected that approach while seeking standing in the case.
"ICANN has again intervened in the affairs of the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), the regional internet registry for 54 nations across Africa and the Indian Ocean. AFRINIC's home is the island nation of Mauritius, where the Supreme Court recently issued an order [PDF] allowing ICANN to become a party to an application to wind up the registry."
"The dispute saw AFRINIC placed in receivership. The registry's receiver eventually ordered fresh elections for AFRINIC. That poll took place in June 2025. After allegations that some proxy votes were cast on behalf of some AFRINIC members without their consent or knowledge, the committee overseeing the poll suspended voting - and later annulled the election."
"After the annulment, ICANN intervened with a letter to AFRINIC's receiver warning that the election could be grounds for it to review whether AFRINIC is compliant with its mandate. Cloud Innovation reacted to ICANN's letter with an announcement that it would commence legal action aimed at "dissolving AFRINIC as a corporate entity and transitioning its responsibilities to a more trusted framework." That action is now ongoing."
"ICANN again stepped in, with a letter [PDF] to the IT Minister of Mauritius that rejects dissolving AFRINIC as an appropriate course of action. The global regulator has now intervened again by successfully applying to become a party to Cloud Innovation's attempt to dissolve AFRINIC."
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