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In the world of internet governance, a heated battle is unfolding between Cloud Innovation, an IP address broker, and the African Network Information Centre Cloud (AFRlNlC) Innovation has initiated liquidation proceedings against AFRINIC, citing poor governance and a lack of transparency.
The trouble started in 2021 when AFRINIC’s board decided to reclaim millions of IP addresses previously allocated to Cloud Innovation. AFRINIC claimed that Cloud Innovation had misrepresented its intentions and failed to use the IP addresses according to the terms of allocation. Cloud Innovation responded with a barrage of lawsuits, arguing that the IP addresses were rightfully theirs.
AFRINIC’s governance crisis deepened, with the organization facing numerous challenges, including :
- Lack of Leadership: AFRINIC has been without a board or CEO, exacerbating the governance issues.
- Frozen Bank Accounts: A court order froze AFRINIC’s bank accounts, crippling its operations.
- Failed Elections: Attempts to hold elections for a new board were marred by controversy, with allegations of electoral fraud and proxy abuse.
Cloud Innovation has now taken the drastic step of initiating liquidation proceedings against AFRINIC. In a statement, Cloud Innovation expressed frustration with AFRINIC’s governance, citing recent events as proof that timely recovery is unlikely. The company believes that liquidation is necessary to rebuild a more accountable and transparent governance structure for Africa’s internet community .
The outcome of this battle will have significant implications for Africa’s internet infrastructure and governance. If AFRINIC is liquidated, it could lead to a restructuring of the organization and potentially impact the allocation of IP addresses in the region. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has warned that AFRINIC risks being derecognized as a Regional Internet Registry if governance.
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