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Following the call for nomination of candidates on the Nomination Committee for the 2025 AFRINIC Board election, I, Mr Gowtamsingh Dabee, in my capacity as Receiver of the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) have appointed the following individuals to serve on the new Nominations Committee (NomCom) for the upcoming AFRINIC Board of Directors elections:

 

  • Mrs Hadia El Miniawi – Northern Africa

  • Mr Houegnon Geoffroy Bonou – Western Africa

  • Mr Albert Kamga – Central Africa

  • Prof Madara Ogot –Southern Africa

  • Mr Godfrey Sserwamukoko– Eastern Africa

  • Mr Yagianath Rosunee – Indian Ocean

 

One representative per AFRINIC sub-region was selected, in accordance with the announced principles of inclusiveness and impartiality.

 

The NomCom’s responsibilities will include identifying and vetting suitable candidates for the Board elections, overseeing the electoral process, and ensuring its integrity and transparency. Their full mandate is outlined as follows:

 

  1. Use its best effort towards ensuring that a satisfactory number of individuals from the African internet community stand as candidate for the election of the directors of AFRINIC; and

  2. Have general responsibility for, and shall supervise the conduct of the polls by the election Committee throughout the voting period.

  3. In the discharge of its function above, the Nom Com:

    1. shall call for candidates for elections held by AFRINIC;

    2. prescribe criteria and qualifications for eligibility to stand as candidate for elections held by AFRINIC;

    3. may interview candidates prior to finalising the list of candidature; and

  4. Shall finalise the list of candidates for any election held by AFRINIC.

  5. A member of the NomCom shall not take part in any manner whatsoever in reviewing and finalising the list of candidates for the region in which he is domiciled. Therefore, the NomCom member shall desist to take part in reviewing and finalising the list of candidates for that region and the decision shall be taken by the remaining members of the NomCom.

 

I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who submitted nominations, and to the appointed NomCom members for their willingness to contribute to this important process. We received a strong number of responses from the community with several credible individuals expressing their interest to serve. This is a clear sign of the commitment and engagement that exists across our region to address the current challenges AFRINIC is facing.

 

The upcoming AFRINIC elections to be held on 29th August 2025 will be conducted exclusively online, with no proxies or powers of attorney allowed. This measure is essential to prevent the issues that annulled the last elections and the Receiver is empowered to act in the spirit of the bylaws to ensure the valid conduct of these elections (as affirmed by the Supreme Court of Mauritius). This approach is a critical step towards restoring trust and fairness in AFRINIC's governance.

 

Mr. Gowtamsingh DABEE

Receiver – AFRINIC Ltd.

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This communiqué addresses the Extraordinary Government Gazette of Mauritius (General Notice No. 1045 of 2025) issued on 18 July 2025, wherein the Prime Minister of Mauritius designated AfriNIC as a "declared company" under Section 230 of the Companies Act 2001. The notice further enjoins the Registrar of Companies to appoint an inspector to investigate AfriNIC’s affairs (notably the events leading to AfriNIC being placed in receivership and the winding up petition filed against AfriNIC recently).


We acknowledge and welcome the Government’s directive and reaffirm our commitment to full compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. For clarity and precision, we provide the following factual context:

Receivership Timeline:

  • AfriNIC was placed in receivership on 12 September 2023 by Order of the Supreme Court of Mauritius
  • An appeal against this Order was dismissed by the Court of Civil Appeal on 15 October 2024, thereby maintaining the receivership.

Election of Board:

  • The Supreme Court’s Order of 26 June 2025 imparted a deadline of 30 September 2025 to the Court-appointed Receiver to conduct elections for AfriNIC’s Board. Preparations to meet this deadline are actively underway, and we assure stakeholders of our focus on a transparent, timely election process.

IP Address Allocations:

  • New IPv4/IPv6 allocations to the African Internet community had resumed exceptionally on 1 July 2025, to clear a backlog of request to enable proper functioning of entities across Africa. AfriNIC remains dedicated to its mandate as Africa’s Regional Internet Registry (RIR).

 

Our Commitment

The Court-appointed Receiver and the AfriNIC team will cooperate fully with the Inspector appointed by the Registrar of Companies. We are confident this process will further clarify AfriNIC’s current operational and governance status. Our primary objectives remain:

  • Preserving the stability of Africa’s Internet numbering resources.
  • Ensuring service continuity for members.
  • Facilitating the election of a duly mandated Board by 30 September 2025.

 

Conclusion


We recognise the concerns raised regarding Mauritius’ jurisdictional reputation and affirm that AfriNIC’s operational revival aligns with national and continental interests. We thank you for your continued trust and will provide updates as developments unfold.

 

Gowtamsingh DABEE
Court appointed Receiver - African Network Information Centre (AfriNIC) (in receivership)

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