On the 5th August 2025, AF* issued a statement following a consultative meeting with Smart Africa Ad-hoc Committee on AFRINIC reforms. In that statement, the AF* expressed substantive concerns about the direction of the proposed reforms and underscored the need to preserve AFRINIC’s established governance model, grounded in the multistakeholder, bottom-up, and community-driven principles that underpin the global Internet ecosystem.
Subsequently, Smart Africa proceeded to develop the CAIGA framework and drafted updated bylaws for AFRINIC alongside the IG blueprint, object of a project agreement between Smart Africa and ICANN, to which ICANN provided funding and technical assistance.
The Final Reform Advisory Report (2025) from Smart Africa states:
“A revised Bylaws document reflecting updated governance and operational provisions to be submitted to the Annual General Members Meeting (AGMM) for adoption. Pending AGMM approval, these documents may be advanced for endorsement at the upcoming Smart Africa Heads of State Summit, framing continental political support.”
AF* disagrees with these developments. AF* wishes to formally clarify that it did not participate in, contribute to, or endorse the CAIGA framework, the revised bylaws, or any associated proposals.
The outcomes of the September 2025 Board elections, referred to as “7 of 8 coalition-backed candidates elected” should not be regarded as success of a coalition, but rather as clear indication of the AFRINIC membership’s cautiousness regarding political influence. Evidently, members preferred another candidate to the Smart Africa’s staff on the coalition list, for the 8th seat, showing maturity of AFRINC membership.
AF* has, over many years, advised against politically supported or association-driven candidate lists within AFRINIC elections, as such practices may inadvertently introduce conflicts of interest, reduce transparency, and erode community trust. AFRINIC’s election procedures—including NomCom vetting, candidate presentations, and an open comment period—are explicitly designed to uphold fairness, accountability, and broad community participation.
AF* Cautions that efforts to centralize or politically reorient the governance of Internet number resources may have unintended and far-reaching consequences. AFRINIC forms a critical component of the global numbering system, and significant deviations from RIR norms may affect operational stability not only within Africa but also across the international Internet community.
AF* encourages AFRINIC Board to ground its work firmly in the long-standing RIR framework, guided by RFC 7020, ICP-2, AFRINIC’s bylaws, and the Policy Development Process, and to apply the lessons learned from the recent crisis to reinforce accountability, resilience, and the trust of the community.
AF* remains confident that AFRINIC membership will continue to spearhead the governance of AFRINIC Ltd in line with the adopted rules and accepted norms and best practices.
AF* urges African governments and regional institutions to continue their support to AFRINIC within the established global Internet governance framework. These instruments provide the foundation for stable, predictable, and internationally aligned technical coordination.
AF* secretariat