2 weeks Ago By Simon Sharwood
The African Network Information Center (AFRINIC) will hold elections on June 23rd, perhaps giving the regional internet registry the chance to convene a board for the first time in three years. AFRINIC is one of the world’s five regional internet registries (RIRs) which administer, manage, distribute and register IP addresses and autonomous system numbers. The RIR serves 54 nations across Africa and the Indian Ocean and has a long history of controversy and tumult involving sexual harassment , corruption , and a complex set of interlocking disputes that have seen it unable to appoint a CEO or elect board members since 2022.
Courts in Mauritius have been asked to sort out the mess, which involves over 20 lawsuits, and recently appointed a receiver to conduct elections and get AFRINIC back on its feet. Do you know more? The Register is investigating recent internet governance controversies. Contact us here in confidence.
On Monday the receiver delivered a Communiqué announcing an election will be held on June 23rd. Receiver Gowtamsingh Dabee also announced the appointment of Simon Davenport, a King’s Counsel who specializes in international arbitration, to chair a Nomination Committee. Davenport will be assisted by three other UK-based Barristers.
Dabee wrote that the appointment was needed “to address the various concerns that I have received in relation to potential interferences in the election process” and “to ensure a completely free and fair election mechanism process.” The Nomination Committee will design an election process, prescribe criteria for eligible candidates, interview candidates before finalizing a list, and supervise the election and the company called Civica Election Services chosen to conduct the poll. The receiver also appointed two AFRINIC execs to an Election Committee, along with a Civica rep and an accountant from his own office.
The Register has asked Mr Dabee to explain what he meant by “potential interferences in the election process.” He responded by mentioning “articles written here and there about AFRINIC and the delayed election” but did not elaborate. Another recent incident regarding AFRINIC happened in March when South Africa’s Internet Service Providers Association warned its members “to exercise heightened vigilance regarding the security of their AFRINIC credentials” as “Entities obtaining multiple members’ credentials could manipulate voting processes, potentially altering board compositions and policy decisions in ways that may not reflect the true consensus of the AFRINIC community.
” The Association urged members who received requests to share their credentials to consult “trusted legal and technical professionals to fully understand the potential implications.” The Register asked the Association to identify any the source of any approaches to share credentials. It declined to do so.
AFRINIC has previously warned its members of “solicitations” to access their credentials conducted by “obscure and fictitious organisations." AFRNIC’s troubles saw the other four RIRs, and their peak body the Number Resource Organisation (NRO), prepare to provide financial support for the African RIR. It also spurred the NRO to review the long-ignored policy that defines the lifecycle of an RIR, and for the first time include provisions for derecognition of the bodies.
A draft of that policy was published last week and suggests derecognition proceedings can be initiated by a single RIR or 25 percent of the membership of the RIR targeted for derecognition. The draft also requires all RIRs to “ensure the ongoing operation and stability of the Internet Number Registry System and must not operate or fail to operate in any manner that threatens such stability.” ®.
