NBA Explains Removal of Rwandan Army Basketball Team Following US Sanctions

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has officially clarified that Rwanda’s army-funded basketball team, Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR), was excluded from the Basketball Africa League (BAL) due to United States sanctions imposed earlier in March.

While the association had previously announced that the club would not participate in the 2026 tournament, the specific reasoning had not been publicly disclosed until now. The clarification came in response to an inquiry from two US senators who raised concerns regarding the league’s partnership with the Rwandan side.

The senators warned that continuing the association could implicate the NBA in sportswashing, pointing to the Rwandan government’s alleged human rights abuses. Washington placed sanctions on the Rwandan army and its defense ministry, citing their involvement and support for the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Kigali has consistently denied any backing of the rebels.

Despite the friction over the team’s exclusion, Rwanda remains an official partner of the BAL, hosting the tournament’s finals at the prominent BK Arena in Kigali.

Read more details on the Nile Post.