“U.S. voices concern over attempts to hinder Mauritius in safeguarding AFRINIC’s independence”

Global Internet System

• “We have some serious questions as to why that’s happening and where it’s coming from,” says U.S. Ambassador Henry Jardine.

• “I would seek, and I would hope, that the Mauritian government continues in its efforts to preserve the integrity of AFRINIC,” he added. 

The U.S. Ambassador responded to a question from Bizweek during a press conference held at the U.S. Embassy in Port Louis on Thursday, on the ongoing legal battle involving the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), headquartered in Mauritius. AFRINIC has been placed into receivership by Seychelles-based Cloud Innovation Ltd. The Mauritian government subsequently launched an investigation into the company, which is now contesting the probe in court. Henry Jardine stressed that the United States is closely monitoring the situation and views developments concerning AFRINIC with concern. “What we want to ensure is an open, transparent, democratic process in the management of the global Internet system,” he said. Below is the Q&A between Bizweek and the U.S. Ambassador on the AFRINIC issue.

R.V. 

Bizweek – Ambassador, can we have your views on the ongoing legal struggle surrounding AFRINIC, which is a continental Internet registry for Africa, in the broader context of global Internet governance in today’s geopolitical landscape?

Ambassador Henry Jardine – We have been following very closely the issues of AFRNIC and what I am stating is the U.S. Government’s perspective on Internet governance globally. What we want to ensure – not just the United States, but the global community – is an open, transparent, democratic process of management of the global Internet system. That’s the intent behind it having a diffused, stakeholder-driven process. It’s democratic.

AFRINIC is a regional Internet registry. Its responsibility is essentially the distribution of IP addresses to people who need one for their organizations, like telecom providers, hotels, basically companies who need IP addresses. The intent behind that is not to make money. The idea is that this is a public service, a public good, for the people here in Africa.

AFRINIC serves Africa. So, the IP addresses should be for African people, for the African community. It should not be for profit and should not be exploited. The intent behind AFRNIC was that it would do this as a nonprofit, as part of a sort of global Internet management system.

“I understand there were allegations of efforts to influence the election of board members”

We obviously see with concern what has happened with AFRINIC – which has been sued and then put into receivership – and we are very concerned about what’s happening with some of these cases. The intent was for there to be an election, in June, for a new board. I understand there were allegations of tampering, potentially of efforts to mismanage, or to influence the decisions of the board or the election of board members.

We would call for transparency, ensuring that AFRINIC is preserved here in Mauritius. We very much commend the Government of Mauritius and its efforts to try to ensure that AFRINIC is independent and operates effectively, transparently, and we really have serious concerns about efforts to prevent the Mauritian government from being able to do that. I think what the Mauritian government is trying to do is ensure that AFRINIC, as part of this open, transparent, democratic, stakeholder-driven part of the governance of the Internet, can remain as such here in Mauritius. I think efforts to undercut that are really concerning and very detrimental, and I have some serious questions as to why that’s happening and where it’s coming from. I would seek and I would hope that the Mauritian government continues in its efforts to preserve the integrity of AFRINIC.