Why It Matters
AFRINIC is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa and the Indian Ocean. It allocates IPv4/IPv6 addresses, Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), and maintains WHOIS and RPKI systems. Without a functioning board, AFRINIC faced paralysis and even the threat of liquidation: in July 2025, Cloud Innovation Ltd, a company linked to Lu Heng, filed a winding-up petition before the Mauritian courts (AFRINIC statement).
Electing a legitimate board restores governance, strengthens AFRINIC’s position against liquidation, and reassures ICANN and the global community that Africa can run its own registry.
Who Won
According to AFRINIC’s official results (AFRINIC Elections 2025), eight directors were elected:
- Seat 1 (North Africa): Abdelaziz Hilali — Professor at INPT, President of ISOC Morocco, veteran of ICANN/IGF processes (candidate bio).
- Seat 2 (West Africa): Prof. Emmanuel Adewale Adedokun — Professor of Computer Engineering at ABU Zaria, former AFRINIC board member (2019–2022) (bio).
- Seat 3 (Indian Ocean): Kaleem Ahmed Usmani — Head of CERT-MU at Mauritius’ Ministry of IT, Communication and Innovation, key author of cybercrime legislation (bio).
- Seat 4 (Central Africa): Kayemba Laurent Ntumba — MD of MICROCOM, President of the Internet Service Provider Association of DRC (ISPA-DRC), and Vice-President of the Telecom Committee within the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC), active in IXPs and AFRINIC committees (bio).
- Seat 5 (Southern Africa): Carla Sanderson — Marketing Director at Teraco (Digital Realty), connected to the NAPAfrica IXP ecosystem. Member of the Open-IX Association (bio).
- Seat 6 (Eastern Africa): Fiona Asonga — CEO of TESPOK (former Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya, runs KIXP and industry CSIRT), former AFRINIC representative to ICANN’s ASO-AC (bio).
- Seat 7 (Non-regional): Benjamin Mark Roberts — Former CTIO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, led the rollout of Africa’s largest fiber networks (bio).
- Seat 8 (Non-regional): Adewole David Ajao — Strategic Negotiator at Google (Africa), former AFRINIC Policy Development Working Group co-chair, Head of External Relations for the Nigerian Network Operators Group (ngNOG) (bio).
Candidate Screening
AFRINIC’s Election Criteria set out both minimum eligibility (no criminal convictions, not bankrupt, fit and proper) and specific candidate criteria (knowledge of AFRINIC’s mandate, governance ethics, leadership experience).
Applications were reviewed by the Nomination Committee (NomCom) with support from the Election Committee. The rules explicitly allow the use of third-party providers for due diligence and background screening. Candidates failing the minimum criteria were disqualified.
Background: AFRINIC vs. Cloud Innovation
AFRINIC has been in litigation with Cloud Innovation Ltd. for several years, after the registry attempted to revoke IP address space it had allocated to the company, citing violations of usage policies. In September 2023, the Supreme Court of Mauritius placed AFRINIC under receivership, appointing an Official Receiver to oversee its operations and ensure continuity. An appeal against this ruling was later dismissed by the Court of Civil Appeal in October 2024, confirming the receivership (AFRINIC notice). Today’s board elections are therefore seen as a decisive step toward restoring member-driven governance and resolving the prolonged leadership vacuum.
In June 2025, ICANN sent a letter to AFRINIC’s court-appointed Receiver raising “serious concerns” about the 23–25 June board elections. Complaints included proxy voting irregularities, potential unauthorized access to member voting lists by external organizations such as the Numbers Resource Society (NRS, linked to Lu Heng), and lack of transparency in the process (ICANN Letter, 25 June 2025).
As a result, those elections were annulled, and a new cycle was scheduled for September 2025 (The Register, 26 June 2025). AFRINIC risked a compliance review under ICP-2 if issues weren’t addressed.
The June elections were annulled; the September vote, which has now concluded, was the corrective process.
What Comes Next
The conclusion of the 2025 board elections is not an end, but a beginning. With new leadership in place, AFRINIC enters a phase where stability, accountability, and community trust can be rebuilt.
Outstanding legal and governance issues remain part of AFRINIC’s broader journey, yet the establishment of a functioning board provides the foundation to address them collectively. What comes next will depend on how the new directors, the membership, and the wider Internet community work together to ensure that AFRINIC continues fulfilling its mission as Africa’s Regional Internet Registry.
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