African Ministers in charge of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) convened on Sunday, July 27, to address the escalating crisis surrounding AFRINIC, the continent’s sole Regional Internet Registry (RIR). The emergency meeting, organized by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and chaired by Algeria’s Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Hon. Sid Ali Zerrouki, culminated in a powerful Ministerial Declaration aimed at preserving AFRINIC’s operations and safeguarding the continent’s digital future.
AFRINIC, accredited in 2005, plays a pivotal role in distributing vital Internet Protocol (IP) resources such as IPv4, IPv6, and Autonomous System Numbers to African stakeholders including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), governments, and academic institutions. However, its ability to continue functioning has been thrown into question by a protracted legal battle initiated by Seychelles-based Cloud Innovation Limited, which has filed for AFRINIC’s liquidation in Mauritius. This has left AFRINIC under court receivership, sparking alarm across Africa’s digital ecosystem.
The Ministerial Declaration emphasized the urgent need to maintain AFRINIC’s stability, recognizing the institution’s crucial role in Africa’s digital transformation and self-determination in Internet governance. Ministers expressed their unwavering commitment to a peaceful, inclusive resolution to AFRINIC’s internal governance challenges, while respecting the legal process underway in Mauritius.
Notably, the Ministers called on the court-appointed receiver to oversee transparent and inclusive elections to restore AFRINIC’s governance structures. African governments were further urged to rally their domestic AFRINIC members to actively participate in the electoral process and support capable, ethical candidates.
“We are not here to prejudge the legal process but to preserve a continental asset,” said Hon. Sid Ali Zerrouki. “Our goal is to ensure Africa retains institutional capacity to manage its Internet resources in a credible, inclusive, and accountable manner.”
The meeting attracted high-level participation from key internet governance actors including the African Union Commission, Smart Africa Alliance, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), and the Internet Society (ISOC). These organizations echoed the Ministers’ concerns and pledged continued support for AFRINIC. ICANN, in particular, reaffirmed its recognition of AFRINIC as Africa’s RIR and confirmed its legal action to protect AFRINIC’s IP resources as public trust assets—shielding them from potential liquidation.
As a way forward, the Ministers mandated the ATU to monitor ongoing developments and provide updates at the next Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit.
John Omo, Secretary General of the ATU, summed up the collective sentiment: “The Internet is too important a resource, and AFRINIC too critical an institution, for us to look the other way. Our success in this matter depends on unity, trust-building, and decisive leadership.”
With Africa’s digital sovereignty at stake, the Ministerial Declaration signals a pivotal moment of continental alignment and leadership to ensure that Africa’s voice and institutions remain central to the future of global Internet governance.