AFRINIC crisis deepens amid latest lawsuit
A new lawsuit filed by Cloud Innovation on 19 July has intensified AFRINIC’s ongoing governance crisis, raising fears over potential loss of African control of the continent’s internet infrastructure.
AFRINIC, the continent’s sole internet registry, faces a governance crisis that could dismantle its infrastructure.
On 19 July 2025, Cloud Innovation. a Seychelles-based firm and one of AFRINIC’s top three members, filed for judicial liquidation, escalating concerns over the loss of control over Africa’s IP address management. The company argues that the registry is irreversibly broken and has supported transferring its duties to another Regional Internet Registry under global compliance standards. Meanwhile, critics warn this could open the door to foreign control over Africa’s internet infrastructure.
AFRINIC has been embroiled in over 50 lawsuits, primarily initiated by Cloud Innovation Ltd., leading to financial paralysis and institutional instability. The crisis deepened when a June 2025 election aimed at restoring governance was annulled due to irregularities, including unauthorised proxy voting and breaches of the membership database. This move undermined trust in AFRINIC’s ability to self-govern and raised alarms about potential foreign control over the continent’s internet infrastructure.