Smart Africa Calls for Coordinated Continental Action to Protect Africa’s Digital Sovereignty

Smart Africa,  a Pan-African initiative uniting 40 African governments, the African Union Commission (AUC), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU ) as Co-Chairs of its SteeringCommittee, and over 60 private sector partners committed to accelerating sustainable digital transformation, expresses deep concern over the escalating governance crisis affecting the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC ), Africa’s sole Regional Internet Registry (RIR ) and the serious threat it poses to the continent’s digital sovereignty, the resilience of its Internet infrastructure, and Africa’s standing in global Internet governance fora.

Since 2022, AFRINIC has faced prolonged institutional paralysis, largely triggered by more than fifty lawsuits, predominantly filed by Cloud Innovation Ltd., a Chinese-owned company registered in Seychelles. Despite the appointment of a Court Receiver in 2023  by the Mauritian judiciary, efforts to restore AFRINIC’s standing in global Internet governance fora and operations have remained unsuccessful, undermining its core functions.

The June 2025 elections, initially viewed as a potential reset moment, were annulled following appeals from multiple stakeholders, including Smart Africa, to the Government of Mauritius, due to severe irregularities that compromised the transparency and legitimacy of the process. These included unauthorised proxy voting, potential breaches of the membership database, and procedural overreach by electoral bodies. Observers noted the disenfranchisement of eligible members and lack of adherence to AFRINIC’s established safeguards, deepening institutional distrust.

On 9 July 2025, Cloud Innovation Ltd. filed for AFRINIC’s judicial liquidation, with a court hearing scheduled for 24 July 2025. This action, if executed, would jeopardise Africa’s control over its IP address allocation framework, threatening not just the Internet ecosystem but the broader foundations of the continent’s digital sovereignty.

Smart Africa’s Response and Coordinated Actions

In accordance with its mandate and guided by the Board, made up of Heads of States, Government, Private Sector and International Organisations in reference to the resolution Board/XI/April/2023/8, Smart Africa has taken swift and strategic action:

• Raised the level of awareness of the crisis of AFRINIC through governments, private sector players, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) who are all part of the internet ecosystem.
• Initiated diplomatic outreach to African governments, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), African Union Commission (AUC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to de-escalate the institutional threat.
• Collaborated with the AFRINIC community to support credible electoral nominations and emphasise the importance of member engagement.
• Commissioned an Ad hoc Committee supported by international legal experts to develop reform proposals and a transitional legal framework in case institutional continuity is compromised.
• Maintained close collaboration with the Government of Mauritius, notably recognising its recent measures to avert immediate liquidation, including the invocation of Section 230 of the Companies Act to declare AFRINIC a “Declared Company”, the appointment of a judicial inspector, and a temporary suspension of legal proceedings. 
• Convened several high-level Ministerial Meetings, including one on 18 July 2025, that brought together ICT Ministers, including the Government of Mauritius, and high-level officials to coordinate a unified continental response on the matter at hand;

Smart Africa’s Position

Smart Africa takes note of the public and formal assurances provided by the Government of Mauritius at the 18 July 2025 Ministerial Meeting, affirming their determination to uphold AFRINIC’s integrity and avoid institutional collapse. The organisation recognises that these actions reflect a genuine intent to restore trust, investigate past irregularities, and facilitate a fair, transparent, and legally sound path forward.

While welcoming these steps and encouraged by the commitments expressed by the Government of Mauritius, SmartAfrica continues to press for service continuity and preservation of Africa’s strategic control over its Internet infrastructure.

In light of the current situation, Smart Africa reaffirms the following principles:

1. Renewed confidence in the government of Mauritius to uphold AFRINIC’s integrity and institutional progress together with the international community.
2. The necessity of a coordinated continental response to prevent institutional capture and ensure that no actor can disrupt Africa’s critical Internet functions.
3. The primacy of due process, transparency, and AFRINIC Bylaws in any legitimate reform or recovery process.
4. Continued cooperation with ICANN, AUC, ITU, and regional partners to foster trust and institutional legitimacy.
5. The right to withhold recognition of any outcomes resulting from processes tainted by fraud, illegality, or systemic violation of governance norms.
6. The acknowledgement, support and subsequent implications of ICANN’s statements of 3 & 16 July 2025, which raised critical concerns over AFRINIC’s governance and signalled readiness for enhanced oversight.
7. The possibility of activating a transitional governance mechanism should AFRINIC’s legal viability be compromised, ensuring uninterrupted IP resource management.

Conclusion

Smart Africa stands unwavering in its commitment to a digitally sovereign, resilient, and transparently governed Africa. At this pivotal moment, where digital infrastructure is closely linked with sovereignty, Africa cannot afford to lose control of its Internet future.

While the organisation welcomes and supports the steps being undertaken by the Government of Mauritius, it also emphasises the urgency of a collective African position backed by clear safeguards and readiness to implement alternatives, should the current trajectory fail to secure AFRINIC’s stability.

History will not judge us only by the origin of this crisis but by our capacity to respond boldly, collectively, and decisively.

Smart Africa, on behalf of its 40 Member States and partners, remains fully committed to protecting Africa’s digital interests and ensuring a secure, sovereign, and future-proof Internet ecosystem for all Africans.