<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);display:inline !important">Well, done REN. This is what we expect from likeminded community in support of AFRINIC no matter what the situation is. We are Africans and must protect what is ours not transferring
your resources to different region/Network. We must fight together and together we shall win.</span><br>
</div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br>
</div>
<div id="Signature">
<div>
<div name="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:; margin:0">
Yusif Amadu<br>
eLearning Unit<br>
University of Ghana Computing Systems<br>
University of Ghana<br>
Cell: +233244659245<br>
Skype: kooissi<br>
<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="appendonsend"></div>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex="-1">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Boubakar Barry <Boubakar.Barry@wacren.net><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, August 2, 2021 10:51 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Community Discuss <community-discuss@afrinic.net><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Community-Discuss] Joint statement on the current AFRINIC situation from the African Regional RENs</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Dear All,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>On behalf of the three African regional RENs, please find attached our joint statement on the current situation at AFRINIC.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>It says::</div>
<div>---</div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:6pt 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">ASREN, UbuntuNet Alliance and WACREN are the regional research and education networks interconnecting national research and education networks (NRENs) across the continent (Northern Africa,
Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa).<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">African RENs provide connectivity and other services to millions of end users in the education and research community (students, faculty, researchers, administrators, etc.), and INRs
are critical for the delivery of these services. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The REN community is following with interest but also with concern the heated debate on the current lawsuit against AFRINIC that led to the freezing of its bank accounts, thus jeopardizing
its operations.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Many years ago, members of the REN community expressed concerns about a risk for AFRINIC, when a resource member publicly said that AFRINIC will face bankruptcy if it dares consider reclaiming
resources that many members thought were assigned wrongly, or at least were not used as initially indicated. It was, at that time, recommended to address this issue seriously.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">And here we are.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Anyway:
<span> </span>the current situation is very serious and our community and the friends of the African Internet community should stand together and fight against those who want to destroy and bury AFRINIC.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Yes, there are things to improve at AFRINIC. But in this critical situation, we urge all to stand by and support the Board and Management of our organization.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">We say no to any attempt to move the management of Internet number resources attributed to Africa to any other organization.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Therefore, we, as representatives of the African REN community, express our full support to AFRINIC Board and Management and invite all Africans and friends of Africa to do the same.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 6pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Signed:<span></span></span></p>
<div>
<p class="x_gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For ASREN (</span><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.asrenorg.net" style="color:rgb(5,99,193); text-decoration:underline"><span lang="EN-US">www.asrenorg.net</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">):
Dr. Yousef Torman, Co-MD<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For Ubuntunet Alliance (</span><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.ubuntunet.net" style="color:rgb(5,99,193); text-decoration:underline"><span lang="EN-US">www.ubuntunet.net</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">):
Dr. Matthews Mtumbuka, CEO<span></span></span></p>
<p class="x_gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For WACREN (</span><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.wacren.net" style="color:rgb(5,99,193); text-decoration:underline"><span lang="EN-US">www.wacren.net</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">):
Dr. Boubakar Barry, CEO<span></span></span></p>
________________________________________________________________</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Best wishes,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Boubakar Barry</div>
-- <br>
<div dir="ltr" class="x_gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div>
<div>CEO/Directeur Général, WACREN<br>
</div>
</div>
Web: <a href="http://www.wacren.net" target="_blank">http://www.wacren.net</a><br>
</div>
***Keep it simple, as simple as possible, but not simpler. (A. Einstein)***</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>