We are writing to provide a critical update on our ongoing efforts to restore full operational stability to AFRINIC and address the persistent legal challenges that continue to delay these efforts.
Following the successful and unprecedentedly high member turnout at the Board elections in September 2025 and our resumption of duty in line with the Companies Act of Mauritius, our immediate priorities have been to understand the current state of affairs, collaborate with the court-appointed receiver pending his formal discharge as receiver of AFRINIC, restore stable operations, recruit a substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and within the guardrails of the bylaws, address key governance gaps with the goal of ensuring AFRINIC never returns to the dark days.
We have also received feedback on various areas of concern, ranging from the efficiency of the registry functions to a desire to reduce membership fees. Accounting audits for past years are ongoing to help us understand the company's financial position and meet statutory obligations. We are also evaluating the company's technology and human resources to position it to provide world-class services. Unfortunately, these initiatives face potential obstructions from a coordinated series of legal actions.
The Current Legal Landscape
Since an AFRINIC Board attempted to bring Cloud Innovation Ltd (CIL) into compliance with the Registration Service Agreement some years ago, AFRINIC has been subjected to a relentless barrage of legal warfare. In addition to their adverse effect on company operations, these actions have cost the organisation millions of dollars in legal fees. Such funds could have been directed toward strengthening the African Internet ecosystem and/or lowering the financial burden on members in line with the membership growth.
Specifically, we are currently facing a web of litigation and procedural roadblocks driven by CIL, Larus Ltd, and associated advocacy campaigns. Some of their recent actions include:
- Election protest: Legal filings have been submitted seeking to use the Supreme Court of Mauritius to invalidate the appointment of the directors democratically elected by the membership and formally appointed to the Board in September 2025.
- Prolonging Receivership: CIL has objected to the current Receiver's application to be discharged, alongside calls for the appointment of yet another receiver. As matters presently stand, the receiver’s application for discharge has been heard, and judgment is now awaited.
- Objections to recent IP address allocations: Consistent with AFRINIC’s obligations under the ICP-2 and in line with prevailing policies, the receiver has been approving IP address allocations and assignments that properly went through the application process. CIL opposes this and has argued before the courts that the receiver has acted outside his authority by enabling the provision of IP number resources to new and existing network operators, academic institutions, Internet Exchange Points and corporate organisations in the AFRINIC service region.
- Winding-up petition: In July 2025, CIL, while presenting itself as a member holding a significant number of IP number resources allocated by AFRINIC, did not hesitate to file a winding-up petition against Africa’s sole Regional Internet Registry. AFRINIC is
- vigorously contesting that petition, and ICANN has also applied for leave to intervene in the court proceedings (the Court is yet to decide on the said intervention). That petition also led the Honourable Prime Minister of Mauritius to cause AFRINIC to be designated as a Declared Company under the Companies Act. This designation remains in force as at date.
- Application for injunction preventing the allocation of IP resources: Alongside its winding-up petition, CIL has also initiated an application seeking to prevent AFRINIC from allocating IP resources. We are also strongly resisting that application. This action by CIL builds upon their previous attempts to freeze AFRINIC’s bank accounts in July 2021, as well as earlier unsuccessful efforts to secure an attachment order over AFRINIC’s unallocated IPv4 resources in September 2021.
- Misinformation Campaigns: We have observed campaigns encouraging uninformed members to submit pre-drafted protest letters designed to further entangle AFRINIC in court proceedings. Again, this is not new.
- Attempting to disrupt Governance Reforms: Cloud Innovation Ltd has formally objected to the creation of the Bylaws Review Committee and any amendments to the bylaws. Their position appears to be that AFRINIC must be at a standstill, with no issuance of IP resources and no modifications to the Bylaws.
The Impact on AFRINIC and the Region
Taken together, the aforementioned actions, alongside a host of other litigations initiated directly or indirectly by CIL, clearly evidence an intention to disrupt and/or paralyse Africa’s sole Regional Internet Registry. Members will appreciate that private interests cannot take precedence over the broader interests of the African continent.
Accordingly, we urge members to look at the broader context of these disruptions. A continued state of instability at AFRINIC effectively prevents the restoration of an organisation that should serve you efficiently and help to develop the region. Furthermore, the delays and soaring legal costs are actively obstructing any attempt to embark on initiatives that will give back to the community and strengthen membership (e.g, training, research)
Next Steps and Our Commitment
We remain resolute in our mandate. As a responsible RIR, we are duty-bound to continue defending AFRINIC in court, protect the integrity of our registry, and work with the African Internet community to govern its resources through a bottom-up process.
We ask you to remain vigilant and participate actively. Please review any documents, representation requests, or legal applications carefully before signing them, and rely on official AFRINIC channels for factual updates regarding our legal standing. When in doubt, please reach out to AFRINIC staff or Board members, as several members have done over the past couple of months. You may also send an email to contact@afrinic.net if you have reason to believe your organisation may have been falsely represented. The shape that AFRINIC takes in the coming years should be decided by the membership through globally established principles and not by bullying, blackmail, or perversion of the justice system.
Please share this and other AFRINIC communiques within your network to help us reach those decision makers who may not necessarily be listed as AFRINIC contacts.