The Digital Council Africa (DCA) and Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) invite you to attend a briefing on the current AFRINIC crisis. If you operate an internet network in South Africa, and you make use of numbering resources (IP addresses or ASNs) obtained from AFRINIC, you should attend this meeting.
AFRINIC is the regional internet registry for Africa, and the sole source of numbering resources for network operators on the continent. For much of the last decade, AFRINIC has been embroiled in lawsuits and allegations of corruption, and it has not had a functioning Board or CEO since 2023. AFRINIC is currently unable to fulfill its core function, with number resource applications from paying members being ignored, and membership applications from new networks turned down.
AFRINIC was placed under receivership in 2023 by the Mauritian courts and the current receiver has a mandate to hold Board elections within the next month. This election process is fraught with challenges, since the absence of a Board makes it impossible for the organisation to fully comply with its own by-laws. Further, there have been allegations of aggressive attempts to convince AFRINIC members into handing over control of their voting rights.
Numbering resources underpin every internet network in the world. If AFRINIC collapses entirely, or if the organisation is dominated by Board members who do not have the interests of African network operators at heart, there is a very real risk that the cost of deploying networks across the continent will increase. A complete collapse could place the existing database of resource allocations at risk.
ISPA and the DCA are convening this AFRINIC Crisis Meeting on 9th April 2025 in order to:
- Raise awareness of the critical nature of the situation among resource holders,
- Provide the context of how the governance of AFRINIC has reached this point,
- Give a briefing on recent developments and the risks to network operators,
- Set-out a roadmap for AFRINIC members to participate in the upcoming election, and
- Build consensus on the most appropriate way forward for network operators.
Please share this invitation with any networks that rely on AFRINIC resources, and please join us next week. To confirm your attendance, please contact [email protected]