[afnog] Where is SmartAFrica and the Governments now?

[Amin Dayekh]

As AFRINIC’s community fights to uphold the integrity of its elections and
governance, we must take a moment to reflect:

Where are the governments we were told to “welcome” into our
multistakeholder model, and SmartAfrica?

Where is the stabilizing hand we were promised through top-down involvement?

Since the 2025 AFRINIC elections began, we have witnessed many
irregularities, from the process to the election, especially :

   - Falsified Powers of Attorney used in voting: according to reports
   - Public whistleblowing by AFRINIC’s staff
   - Confirmed reports of police complaints lodged in Mauritius for alleged
   election fraud
   - Suppressed voting rights and resource holders disenfranchised
   - No transparency on election irregularities, yet the ballot count
   continues

And still, not one government, not a single Ministry of ICT, Smart Africa
representative, or official body, has issued a public statement to support
the AFRINIC community or demand transparency.

By contrast, it is the very *community*, resource members, operators,
elders, engineers, and youth alike, that have stood up to defend bottom-up
governance. Even WACREN, a regional network of research institutions, spoke
out [in its 18 June communique], calling for suspension of the elections,
restoration of voting rights, and legal clarity. TISPA sought an Injunction
to regularize the process, while ICANN had also tried, and recently, ISPA

We should all be reminded:

AFRINIC is not a governmental body.
Its legitimacy is drawn from its members, not ministries.
Its governance must remain bottom-up, transparent, and accountable.

*This is a friendly reminder of our community values and of the serious
risks of government interference when misaligned with multistakeholder
governance. A top-down model will not fix what a bottom-up community must
build. Let us not abandon our founding principles for convenience or
silence.*

I rely on the following, among many other links to sources such as wacren,
icann case, TISPA etc...:

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/600121-criminal-charges-in-internet-fight.html

https://lexpress.mu/s/plaintes-a-la-police-pour-manipulation-grave-546695

https://www.internetgovernance.org/2025/06/19/has-the-supreme-court-of-mauritius-resolved-afrinics-governance-turmoil/

https://it-online.co.za/2025/06/25/ispa-cries-foul-over-afrinic-voting/ :


*Amin Dayekh*


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