Changes

==AfTLD Bid for DotAfrica==

==AfTLD Bid for DotAfrica==

On March 9, 2011, AfTLD Chairman Vikas Mpisane announced that it will seek the endorsement of the African Union in connection with AfTlD's application with ICANN to become the registry operator of the proposed .africa as a new gTLD. According to Mpisane, its organization is interested managing both DotAfrica and its French version .afrique since 50% of Africans speak French. The organization is confident that it will be successful on its bid for the DotAfrica project because the support expressed to them by the African community, African governments and its close relationship with other Africa internet organizations such as [[AfNOG]], [[AfriNIC]] and [[AfrISPA]].<ref>[http://www.aftld.org/html/english/news_dotafrica.html AfTLD takes on .africa]</ref>

On March 9, 2011, AfTLD Chairman Vikas Mpisane announced that AfTLD would seek the endorsement of the African Union in connection with its application become the registry operator for the proposed .africa gTLD. According to Mpisane, the organization is interested managing both DotAfrica and its French version, .afrique, which is notable, as a purported 50% of Africans speak French. The organization is confident that it will be successful with its bid for the DotAfrica project, given the support it has received from the African community, African governments and its close relationship with other Africa internet organizations such as [[AfNOG]], [[AfriNIC]] and [[AfrISPA]].<ref>[http://www.aftld.org/html/english/news_dotafrica.html AfTLD takes on .africa]</ref>

Following its announcement to seek the AU endorsement, during the 5th Annual African ccTLD Event in Accra, Ghana on May 2011, Ghana Minister of  

Following its announcement to seek the AU endorsement, during the 5th Annual African ccTLD Event in Accra, Ghana on May 2011, [[Haruna Iddrissu]], Ghana Minister of  

Communications Haruna Iddrissu and [[Nii Quaynor|Dr. Nii Quaynor]], Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Internet Task Force expressed their support to AfTLD's bid to become the registry operator of DotAfrica.<ref>[http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102516344150-101/Post_Event_Press_release_final+AftLD.pdf AfTLD concludes a successful annual  concludes a successful annual African ccTLD event in Accra]</ref>

Communications, and [[Nii Quaynor|Dr. Nii Quaynor]], Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Internet Task Force, expressed their support for AfTLD's bid to become the registry operator of .africa.<ref>[http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102516344150-101/Post_Event_Press_release_final+AftLD.pdf AfTLD concludes a successful annual  concludes a successful annual African ccTLD event in Accra]</ref>

Meanwhile, the African Registry Consortium (ARC) expressed its willingness to partner with AfTLD and provide technical, operational and financial resources to prepare a good application and gain the approval of ICANN to sponsor and manage the DotAfrica registry.<ref>[http://www.africanregistry.net/content.php?contentID=1 ARC Executive Summary]</ref>

The African Registry Consortium (ARC) has expressed its willingness to partner with AfTLD in order to provide technical, operational and financial resources for the preparation of a strong application for the management of the DotAfrica registry.<ref>[http://www.africanregistry.net/content.php?contentID=1 ARC Executive Summary]</ref>

==References==

==References==