[AFRINIC-Announce] Communiqué from the AFRINIC Board of Directors and the Receiver

[AFRINIC Communication]

[Joint Statement from the AFRINIC Board of Directors and the Receiver]

Dear  AFRINIC Resource Members and Internet Community,

The AFRINIC Board of Directors and the Receiver, Mr. Gowtamsingh Dabee, wish to inform
all AFRINIC Resource Members and the AFRINIC Internet Community that both parties are
working in close collaboration to fulfil AFRINIC’s obligations to its members, employees, and
stakeholders, as well as to the broader regional and international Internet community.
On 08 October 2025, the Receiver filed his report titled “Application for Termination of
Receivership” before the Supreme Court (Bankruptcy Division) of Mauritius, thereby initiating
the process for his formal release. A decision of the Honourable Court is currently awaited.
The Board extends its sincere appreciation to Mr. Dabee for his dedication and invaluable
efforts in guiding AFRINIC to this significant stage, one where a Board of Directors is now in
place.
The Board notes that certain legal proceedings initiated against AFRINIC, both prior to and
following the recent elections, remain ongoing. The Board will work towards a quick resolution
of these matters, thereby enabling AFRINIC to resume full and normal operations. Until the
Receiver’s formal discharge by the Honourable Court, Mr. Dabee has graciously agreed to
continue supporting AFRINIC in implementing the necessary steps following the appointment
of Directors.

AFRINIC Staff and Leadership Transition
The Board and the Receiver wish to commend the AFRINIC staff for their dedication,
professionalism, and resilience in maintaining operations under unprecedented
circumstances, including functioning without a Chief Executive Officer for nearly three years.
We reaffirm our commitment to supporting, protecting, and recognising staff for their service.
Both the Board and the Receiver are working closely to identify short- and long-term solutions
for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer at the earliest possible opportunity.

Membership and IP Resources
The Board is currently reviewing matters related to IP resource allocations and the rights of all
Resource Members who have joined AFRINIC since June 2022. This matter, being the subject
of ongoing court proceedings, is receiving careful legal consideration.
The Board also reiterates its commitment to the integrity of AFRINIC’s WHOIS database and
the protection of members’ IP resource rights.

Board Committees
Recognising the substantial volume of work ahead, the following sub-committees of the Board
have been constituted to strengthen governance and assist in its functions:
• Finance Committee – chaired by Ms. Carla Sanderson
• Audit Committee – chaired by Dr. Fiona Asonga
• Remuneration Committee – chaired by Mr. Laurent Ntumba
• Legal Committee – chaired by Mr. Ben Roberts
These committees will review the work that has been paused since 2022 and realign
AFRINIC’s governance as the organisation enters 2026. The newly constituted Legal
Committee has been mandated to take stock of all ongoing legal cases involving AFRINIC,
with the objective of optimising legal resources and ensuring that AFRINIC maintains an
appropriate and coherent legal strategy moving forward.

Appointment of Auditor and Financial Reports
In accordance with AFRINIC’s statutory obligations, the Receiver has appointed Forvis
Mazars, a licensed firm by the Mauritius Financial Reporting Council (FRC), as external auditor
to conduct financial audits for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.
This appointment was made under exceptional circumstances, in the absence of an Annual
General Members’ Meeting (AGMM), to respond to stakeholder requests for audited financial
statements and to ensure the continuity of AFRINIC’s operations.
Preliminary assessments indicate that significant work remains to be completed. The audit
exercises are ongoing and are expected to be finalised shortly. The audit partners are currently
reviewing the audit files.
The Board is reviewing the financial reports for 2022–2024, which will be published online
once approved. A summary of the audited reports will also be made available on the AFRINIC
website to ensure transparency and accountability.

Special General Members’ Meeting
The Board recognises the need to convene a Special General Members’ Meeting (SGMM) to
present the company’s 2021 audited financial statements.
Members will recall that during the last AGMM in 2022, the resolution to adopt the Audited
Financial Statement for the year ended 31 December 2021 was not approved, and
consequently, the Companies Act requires that where “the financial statements are not
approved at the annual meeting, they shall be presented at a further special meeting called
by the Board”.
The Board is reviewing the appropriate course of action and will shortly revert to the
membership with the proposed way forward.

Legal Matters and Investigations
The Legal Committee is reviewing information concerning the alleged use of fraudulent Power
of Attorney (PoA) or “Power to Vote” documents during the aborted June 2025 elections.
These documents are reportedly with the relevant investigatory authorities in Mauritius. The
Board will update members once preliminary investigations are completed, and a
comprehensive update will follow upon the Committee’s review of all ongoing litigations and
related legal matters.

Policy Development and Community Representation
The Board recognises the importance of relaunching the Policy Development Process (PDP)
as a core mechanism of the bottom-up governance model and as a requirement under the
ICP-2 framework.
In this regard, the Board will soon reopen PDP discussions, issue a call for Policy Development
Working Group (PDWG) Co-Chairs, and invite the submission or resubmission of policy
proposals for community review.
A key prerequisite will be to ensure that all community mailing lists maintain an atmosphere of
civility and constructive engagement.
Additionally, the Board is taking steps to reconstitute key community structures, including the
African representatives to the NRO NC / ASO AC, to ensure full and balanced regional
representation in the global Internet ecosystem.

Governance Committee
The Board has taken note that the mandate of the members of the previous Governance
Committee (GovCom) has ended. The Board is reviewing its composition and mandate to
ensure alignment with AFRINIC’s current governance priorities.
Suggestions received from members have been noted, and further updates on the
reconstitution of the Committee will be communicated in due course.

Bylaws Review and Institutional Reform
In light of the circumstances that led to AFRINIC’s recent challenges, the Board recognises
the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the Bylaws and institutional reform to
strengthen governance and ensure AFRINIC’s long-term sustainability.
A call for volunteers to participate in this critical reform exercise will be issued in due course.
The Board invites all Resource Members and community stakeholders to actively participate
in rebuilding AFRINIC.

Conclusion
The AFRINIC Board of Directors and the Receiver reaffirm their joint commitment to rebuilding
trust, restoring stability, and re-establishing AFRINIC’s reputation and legitimacy as a key actor
in the global Internet ecosystem.
We will continue to engage with multistakeholder organisations that have supported AFRINIC
through these challenging years, including ICANN, ISOC, the NRO, local authorities, and other
regional and international partners, as collaboration remains vital to the strength of the
Regional Internet Registry system.
The Board is also committed to deepening engagement with its membership, consistent with
the bottom-up model. To this end, regular Board-Community Engagement Sessions will be
introduced, both online and in person, to listen to members’ views and gather feedback on the
way forward.

AFRINIC Board of Directors and the Receiver
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