The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has issued a stern open letter to the Government of Mauritius and the court-appointed receiver of AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa and the Indian Ocean. The letter, dated July 16th, expresses grave concern over AFRINIC’s governance failures, opaque election practices, and recent attempts by a controversial resource member to dissolve the organization.

ICANN’s intervention follows the annulment of AFRINIC’s June 2025 Board elections, which were marred by allegations of fraud, misuse of power-of-attorney (PoA) votes, and lack of transparency. Despite requests for information, ICANN claims it has received only minimal responses from Mr. Gowtamsingh Dabee, the court-appointed receiver, who has provided neither adequate detail on the failed elections nor clarity on the current status of AFRINIC’s records and backup systems.

Tensions have escalated with the involvement of Cloud Innovation Ltd, a prominent AFRINIC resource member. The firm’s CEO has been linked to media outlets accused of influencing election narratives and has now initiated legal proceedings to dissolve AFRINIC entirely—an action ICANN firmly rejects. The organization warns that such a move could allow private interests to capture a vital regional Internet governance body, jeopardizing the equitable distribution of IP address resources.

ICANN reiterates that AFRINIC does not own the IP addresses it manages; these are public resources to be distributed in line with local policy and need. Any deviation, including treating addresses as private assets, would violate the principles underpinning regional Internet governance.

To chart a path forward, ICANN proposes several reforms: transparent publication of election-related investigations, clearer definitions of member eligibility, and restructuring the board election cycle to align with AFRINIC’s bylaws. It also recommends appointing an independent elections expert and improving the transparency and neutrality of the nomination process.

The letter stops short of launching a formal compliance review but makes clear that AFRINIC is under close scrutiny. ICANN demands a full update by July 17th, including answers to past queries and confirmation of data preservation in case of further investigation.

While affirming its commitment to AFRINIC’s continued role as an RIR, ICANN warns that sustained failure to engage constructively could trigger a reassessment of AFRINIC’s status. The broader concern is that without reform, AFRINIC risks losing the trust of its membership—and with it, its legitimacy as a steward of Internet resources in the region.