<div><div><div style="font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div dir="auto" style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)">Hello all, </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)">I totally agree with Tomslin. Thank you Rafik for sending the letter. Our concern has to go on the record. We have overwhelming support from our members especially from Africa to send this letter. The blog doesn’t settle anything, if not raising more questions. And lets face it, we shouldn’t have pushed so hard for ICANN to explain the relationship and the financial relationship. They should have been more forthcoming from the beginning . </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)">Our next step after sending the letter has to be asking for an extension of ICP2 review. AFRINIC was not fully participating in the review and unfortunately ICANN’s conduct in terms of governance of RIRs hasnt been reassuring so we have to look into the review more closely. </div></div><div style="font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div dir="auto" style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(0,0,0);color:rgb(0,0,0)">Best regards </div></div></div><br clear="all"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Farzaneh </font></div></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 9:14 PM Tomslin Samme-Nlar <<a href="mailto:mesumbeslin@gmail.com">mesumbeslin@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)"><div dir="ltr"><div>Thanks, Emmanuel, for bringing the CEO's blog to our attention.</div><div><br></div><div>It is good to see that ICANN is addressing some of the questions we have because asking questions now helps guide us in the right direction. They say, we must not only ask questions but also question the answers.</div><div><br></div><div>Reading the CEO's blog/response, it is even clearer why we needed to ask the questions we had in the letter to the board. The CEO said </div><div><br></div><div><b><i>"We would also expect that community inputs on the proposed Internet governance framework will be considered appropriately before any model is finalized. Further, the community must be given appropriate time to consider any proposed changes to the current model, be it on Internet governance in general or the governance of AFRINIC." </i></b></div><div><br></div><div>This expectation is something Smart Africa has not been open and transparent about - at least <i>from the community perspective</i>. Neither has it been made clear in Smart Africa's public communication of the project. Therefore, I think we should continue to monitor this project in general and ensure it is inclusive, open, and transparent.</div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div>Remain blessed,<br></div>Tomslin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, 19 Nov 2025 at 12:01, Emmanuel Vitus <<a href="mailto:emmanuelvitus@gmail.com" target="_blank">emmanuelvitus@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">Dear colleagues,</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">ICANN's CEO wrote a <a href="https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/icanns-commitment-to-the-africa-community-18-11-2025-en" target="_blank" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">formal clarification</a> on the IG Blueprint and the concerns around CAIGA. The <a href="https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/icanns-commitment-to-the-africa-community-18-11-2025-en" target="_blank" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">blogpost </a>is clear and, in my view, settles the questions that have occupied us. ICANN explains that its cooperation with Smart Africa relates to broad Internet governance engagement and capacity development, not to the governance of AfriNIC. It reaffirms that ICP2 remains the framework guiding AfriNIC and that any evolution must come from AfriNIC members and the African Internet community. ICANN also confirms that CAIGA is still a draft under community discussion and has not been presented to any political authority. This should reassure anyone who feared structural change. The multistakeholder model remains intact and AfriNIC’s future remains with its community.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">I would like to offer a broader reflection. AfriNIC has around 2,600 members, yet fewer than 1 in 4 participated in the last election, and while Africa is home to 1.4 billion people, only a small number of us regularly contribute to ICANN working groups or policy processes. When participation is so limited, misunderstandings can grow quickly. African coordination, when it appears, is too often interpreted as an attempt at capture rather than what it usually is, which is an effort to bring coherence and visibility to a region that has long been underrepresented in global deliberations.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">We also need to be honest about the global context. The United States, once a stabilising force in Internet governance, is entering a period of erratic policy making. Europe, while invoking the language of digital sovereignty, is simultaneously weakening some of the protections that once defined its regulatory leadership. Meanwhile, the private sector continues to consolidate power in the technical and infrastructural layers of the network. In this environment, Africa cannot afford to remain fragmented or reactive. It also cannot allow its attempts at coordination to be reflexively interpreted as political intrusion. Coordination is not capture. Coordination is how a continent of 1.4 billion people begins to articulate a shared position in a global system shaped by geopolitical interests and commercial concentration.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">One size does not fit all in Internet governance. Our infrastructures differ, our regulatory capacities differ, and our development priorities differ. The global model only works when these realities are recognised and represented. As Africa defines its path, we must ensure that civil society, academia, technical operators, the private sector and all stakeholder groups have their voices embedded in the process. A coordinated Africa is not a closed Africa. It is an Africa capable of speaking clearly, constructively and confidently in spaces that do not pause for those who remain silent.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">ICANN’s clarification confirms that AfriNIC’s authority remains with its members and that any governance evolution must be community driven. The task before us now is to strengthen African participation, deepen our engagement and bring our perspectives to the global table with greater confidence.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">The world is changing. Africa must change with it. Not by outsourcing its digital future, but by shaping it together and with intention.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">Warm regards,<br>
Emmanuel</p></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">Le mar. 18 nov. 2025 à 02:20, Tomslin Samme-Nlar <<a href="mailto:mesumbeslin@gmail.com" target="_blank">mesumbeslin@gmail.com</a>> a écrit :<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)"><div dir="ltr"><div>Hi Rafik, all,</div><div><br></div><div><b>I fully support the letter to the board</b>. As it states "Expedited timing is critical to ensure that any ICANN-related engagement aligns with the multistakeholder principles embedded in ICP-2". </div><div><br></div><div>Having followed the work of Smart Africa closely within ICANN, I have always held the view that while their efforts might be providing the much needed support AfriNIC needed to address the issue they were facing, the Smart Africa approach was not consistent with Internet Governance models we advocate for - which are <b>bottom-up</b> <b>inclusiveness, openness</b> and <b>transparency</b>. These questions we are asking now ensure that going forward, the right approaches are used to achieve the right results. So, we must ask these questions to the ICANN board and whoever else is accountable.</div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div>Remain blessed,<br></div>Tomslin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, 17 Nov 2025 at 21:10, Emmanuel Vitus <<a href="mailto:emmanuelvitus@gmail.com" target="_blank">emmanuelvitus@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">Hmmm…. It is not hesitation but reflection. It is the kind of moment anyone who has lived through the history of African Internet governance will recognise. Those who witnessed the creation of AfriNIC, the protracted 4-year crisis that nearly fractured it, or the long political odyssey behind the “dot africa” top level domain know that these debates are never merely technical. They carry historical memory, institutional fragility, and the ongoing struggle for African agency within a global digital order that was not built for us.</p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Professor Milton’s article is, as always, rigorous and analytically sharp. For many of us, he has long been a model of principled thinking in global Internet governance. Yet on this particular point, the framing requires a more historically grounded African perspective.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">There is a long-standing tendency to portray African states as inherently unstable or structurally fragile. We saw this again only weeks ago when Donald Trump, in his current political capacity, declared Nigeria a “disgraced country” and threatened to intervene “guns blazing” based on unverified allegations. This rhetoric does not arise from empirical depth; it emerges from narrative habits that reduce African complexity to simplified explanations. It is essential that we do not reproduce such patterns in our internal governance debates.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Smart Africa, which features prominently in this discussion, must also be situated in its proper context. It has always operated under African Union guidance and in several areas it succeeded where the AU advanced slowly. Yes, Smart Africa is close to governments and the private sector. Yes, it must improve its engagement with civil society, academia and the technical community. No, the model is not perfect. But depicting Smart Africa as a covert instrument seeking to capture AFRINIC or impose political control over a regional technical institution misrepresents both its mandate and its contributions.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I should also clarify that I am not a “defender” of Smart Africa, despite the interpretation suggested in the article. I defend African initiatives that attempt, however imperfectly, to advance African sovereignty and agency. When Smart Africa errs, I criticise it privately and <a href="https://medium.com/@emmanuelvitus/after-years-of-paralysis-afrinic-must-prove-it-can-govern-itself-1b7d50bbd67c" target="_blank" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">publicly.</a> When it succeeds, <a href="https://medium.com/@emmanuelvitus/afrinic-hope-hijack-and-the-harsh-lessons-of-african-multistakeholderism-8e8378797101" target="_blank" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">I acknowledge tha</a>t. As we often say in Africa, <em style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">only a tree that bears fruit receives stones</em>. Smart Africa receives stones precisely because it has stepped into a space where Africa historically lacked institutional visibility. Maybe this is my badge to carry as well: that by being vocal, by standing for African agency, by refusing narratives that diminish us, I inevitably place myself in the line of fire. But perhaps that is precisely the role our generation must accept. </font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Some factual clarifications are necessary. ISPA is the Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa. It is not, and has never been, the Internet Service Providers Association of Africa. AFRINIC covers 54 countries and more than 2 300 members. To reduce the outcome of a continental election to the influence of a single national association is not only inaccurate; it erases the <a href="https://smartafrica.org/press-release-community-endorsed-candidates-for-afrinic-board-elections-2025/" target="_blank" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">collective effort behind the process led by Smart Africa</a>. Colleagues from TESPOK in Kenya, TISPA in Tanzania, ISPA RDC and many others would be astonished to see their extensive consultations reduced to a single sister association. Even ISPA’s own leadership knows how the continental slate emerged: through negotiation, coordination and consensus across the region.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Prof, in that spirit, may I respectfully ask whether you had the opportunity to speak with the ISPA leadership before drawing this conclusion in the article? Their perspective would be extremely valuable to this discussion.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">As for the circulating claim that ICANN funded CAIGA or empowered Smart Africa to redesign AFRINIC’s governance: this is unsupported by any evidence. If ICANN’s legal counsel were asked to evaluate it formally, they would likely dismiss it immediately. The allegation collapses under basic legal and factual scrutiny. I was present in most of the rooms where these matters were discussed, most of them publicly. I witnessed the interactions, the boundaries and the institutional constraints. This narrative does not correspond to reality.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">My hope is that those familiar with AFRINIC’s internal dynamics and with the African technical community will recognise the gap between the narrative being circulated and what actually occurred.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">For colleagues who want deeper context,<a href="https://medium.com/@emmanuelvitus/smart-africa-icann-caiga-afrinic-how-the-brouhaha-exposes-the-politics-of-african-digital-cf3ddc42beca" target="_blank" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"> I invite you to read my recent article</a>. It explains how this narrative emerged, why it spread. More importantly, it argues that African digital sovereignty will not be built on suspicion or fragmentation.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Prof, I genuinely appreciate your decision to remove the earlier concluding paragraph. It reflects the intellectual humility and integrity that many of us admire in your work.</font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Let us continue this discussion with historical consciousness. Africa has been misrepresented many times in global Internet governance. We must avoid reproducing narratives that diminish our agency or our capabilities. <b style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">Africa is not a country.</b></font></p>
<p style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">Asante sana! <font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br>
</font><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Emmanuel</font></p></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">Le dim. 16 nov. 2025 à 16:52, Anriette Esterhuysen <<a href="mailto:anriette@apc.org" target="_blank">anriette@apc.org</a>> a écrit :<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)"><u></u>
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<p>Oh.. and thanks a lot for deleting the original last paragraph :)</p>
<pre cols="72" style="font-family:monospace">Anriette Esterhuysen - <a href="mailto:anriette@apc.org//anriette@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="font-family:monospace">anriette@apc.org//anriette@gmail.com</a></pre>
<div>On 2025/11/16 18:19, Mueller, Milton L
wrote:<br>
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Anriette,</div>
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Thanks for your comments. I think your question about the
relationship between the African Union and Smart Africa (SA) is
an important one to pursue. It is relevant if SA succeeds in
establishing some kind of Council (CAIGA) that has supervisory
authority over AFRINIC. I think that is a bad idea and I also
think it is highly unlikely. But as a partner of SA, ICANN needs
to confront this question.</div>
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As for "generalizations about the region and its governments,"
sorry if you read that into the article. No such generalizations
were intended. Your misinterpretation shows that nationalism and
identity politics are big obstacles to clear thinking about
Internet governance, especially in this case. There is no
statement anywhere in that blog, or in anything I have ever
written, that says Africa is "inherently" unstable or
undemocratic. Inherent means "existing in something as a
permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute." No, the
article merely calls attention to the fact that many of its
current governments are undemocratic or unstable, which is a
fact. Some African governments are not unstable or undemocratic,
and there is certainly long term hope that stability and liberal
democracy will come to additional African states. </div>
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The point is, all these governments would be part of a board
that wants to govern AFRINIC. So what kind of principles and
policies would ensue? Geopolitics and national interests are
"inherent" features of multilateral, government institutions.
That is my argument, and it applies to all regions, not just
Africa.</div>
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The article advocates for <b style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">self-governance</b> of AFRINIC by
its <b style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">members, </b>
and opposes an overlay of state-directed control. This is what
we mean by "the multistakeholder model," is it not? My rejection
of state control and digital sovereignty applies to the U.S.
government, to European governments, etc. Our current experience
with the Trump administration and its nationalistic, nativist,
sovereigntist policies is an excellent example of why I don't
want states setting policies for the global coordination of
Internet identifiers. It also explains why I was and remain a
big advocate of eliminating U.S. control of ICANN during the
2014-2016 transition. I think I have been perfectly consistent
about this. </div>
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<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">Dr.
Milton L Mueller</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">Georgia
Institute of Technology</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">Carter
School of Public Policy</span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">
<a style="text-decoration:none;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" title="https://internetgovernance.org" href="https://internetgovernance.org" target="_blank"><img src="cid:ii_19a9149934eb0c2f32c1" style="width:480px;max-width:100%"></a></p>
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<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From:</b> Anriette Esterhuysen <a href="mailto:anriette@apc.org" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><anriette@apc.org></a><br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sent:</b> Sunday, November 16, 2025 10:44 AM<br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To:</b> Mueller, Milton L <a href="mailto:milton@GATECH.EDU" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><milton@GATECH.EDU></a>;
<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>
<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU></a><br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Subject:</b> Re: Is ICANN helping to subvert its own
governance model?</div>
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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">Dear Milton</p>
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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">You are often the
person that asks tough questions in an uncompromising way. I
like and value that about you even when I don't agree with you
:) But speaking as an African I would appreciate it if you could
do so without making generalisations about the region and its
governments. Africa is not inherently 'unstable' or
undemocratic, as you imply. In fact, living in the US at
present you probably have firsthand knowledge of how erratic
states and their leaders can be and how risky it is to make
assumptions about them.</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">From my
perspective as someone who has tried to follow the process
closely, but from a distance, I do have questions over and above
those in the NCSG letter, but they can wait for a bit later and
should be addressed to the AfriNIC board and to Smart Africa and
the African Union.</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">For example, does
the MOU between Smart Africa and the African Union Commission
include commitment to comply with the
<a style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px" id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA04994918-0c93-7919-f9c9-520b5736c8d0" href="https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/42078-doc-DATA-POLICY-FRAMEWORKS-2024-ENG-V2.pdf" target="_blank">
AU's Data Policy Framework</a>, and the <a style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px" id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA15e9226e-61ff-9051-3bc2-0111ec923c0f" href="https://au.int/sites/default/files/newsevents/workingdocuments/33025-wd-african_declaration_on_internet_governance_en_0.pdf" target="_blank">
AU Declaration on Internet Governance </a> which affirms
freedom of expression, openness and the WSIS principles of
multistakeholder participation? And, will Smart Africa int is
interaction/support of AfriNIC adhere to the
<a style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px" id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA340cc9bc-c2a3-968e-9f31-84092266467a">
African Commission on Human and People's Rights Declaration of
Principles on Freedom of Expression</a>. The latter is a
particularly strong document and shaped by multistakeholder
consultation and in particular civil society input. AfriNIC
has in the past been active in the formulation of AU
internet-related policies.</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">I also have
questions on how Smart Africa, which is indeed doing good work
and filling a gap left by the lack of capacity at the African
Union Commission, plans to work with civil society and promote
and protect human rights in its digital governance work. While
Smart Africa does not exclude civil society, it does seem to
practice its multistakeholder approach primarily through working
with the private sector. AfriNIC also always needed to
strengthen its connections with civil society. I hope that new
board will help make that happen. </p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">These are not
questions for ICANN but I think they are questions relevant to
many NCSG members involved in internet governance in Africa (and
beyond). Emmanuel and others, if you do have some of the
answers to my questions, please share.</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">Thanks</p>
<div><br>
</div>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">Anriette</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<div><br>
</div>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<pre style="font-family:monospace"><div style="font-family:monospace">Anriette Esterhuysen - <a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA3b68455d-fcb7-1333-c218-eefbcb0c2632" href="mailto:anriette@apc.org//anriette@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="font-family:monospace">anriette@apc.org//anriette@gmail.com</a></div></pre>
<div>On 2025/11/14 17:50, Mueller, Milton L wrote:</div>
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I support the letter 100%</div>
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<br>
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<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%">
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<div style="direction:ltr;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From:</b> Rafik Dammak <a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA7659ea08-5de8-2202-6af9-b15a59e5b1c3" href="mailto:rafik.dammak@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<rafik.dammak@gmail.com></a><br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sent:</b> Friday, November 14, 2025 1:55 AM<br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To:</b> NCSG <a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA238fa6c9-1df2-0361-2868-8e8ecefb4b4f" href="mailto:ncsg-discuss@listserv.syr.edu" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<ncsg-discuss@listserv.syr.edu></a>; ncsg-pc <a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA0deffd51-e49f-56c9-ea61-a356ff4a02b6" href="mailto:ncsg-pc@lists.ncsg.is" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<ncsg-pc@lists.ncsg.is></a><br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Cc:</b> Mueller, Milton L <a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWAd3219216-5920-5b87-ffd9-7b0633f05743" href="mailto:milton@gatech.edu" target="_blank" style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<milton@gatech.edu></a><br>
<b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Subject:</b> Re: [NCSG-Discuss] Is ICANN helping to
subvert its own governance model?</div>
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</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">hi all,</div>
<div style="direction:ltr"><br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">thanks for the comments and input
to letter, here the new version after resolving the changes
<a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWAbc680c7a-b419-92a7-6fb7-12ae9e4c66d4" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CPgRLILaCtsda8YRA4mUtElLXYS6udjF8cHvTo2AXHI/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CPgRLILaCtsda8YRA4mUtElLXYS6udjF8cHvTo2AXHI/edit?tab=t.0</a> .</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">If there is no strong objection or
concern, we can send this letter asap to the board for
consideration, hopefully by the end of the day.</div>
<div style="direction:ltr"><br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">Best,</div>
<div style="direction:ltr"><br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">Rafik</div>
<div style="direction:ltr"><br>
</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">Le jeu. 13 nov. 2025 à 23:08,
Mueller, Milton L <<a id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWA3064c511-f86e-b99e-4978-53afb5f1c511" href="mailto:00001d75540da649-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu" target="_blank">00001d75540da649-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu</a>>
a écrit :</div>
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> I want to urge NCSG members that as we ask for more
information, we do so without undermining AfriNIC's new
board </div>
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> and the efforts of this board and those working with it
to stabilise AfriNIC. They need our support.</div>
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Absolutely correct. The focus should be on CAIGA proposal,
which deviates from multistakeholder principles, the new
Afrinic board has very little to do with that as far as I
know. </div>
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<br>
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<p style="direction:ltr;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">
<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">Dr.</span>
<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">
Milton L Mueller</span></p>
<p style="direction:ltr;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">
<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">Georgia
Institute of Technology</span></p>
<p style="direction:ltr;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">
<span style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">School
of Public Policy</span></p>
<p style="direction:ltr;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">
<a style="text-decoration:none;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" title="https://internetgovernance.org" id="m_6446492001700260956m_3919527426590258511m_-930834783253525849m_5687377668441545337m_-2380352191288868954OWAeaa6ed23-bdc7-f366-bf70-5a824322d8b9" href="https://internetgovernance.org" target="_blank"><img size="6990" src="cid:ii_19a9149934ef3aa6fb62" style="width:480px;max-width:100%"></a></p>
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