NBA Removes Rwanda’s Army Basketball Team from African League Over US Sanctions

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has confirmed that Rwanda’s army-backed basketball team, Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR), was removed from the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) because of US sanctions imposed on the country.

The NBA had previously announced that APR would not participate in the 2026 competition but had not explained the reasons behind the decision.

The explanation emerged after two US senators called on the association to reconsider its partnership with the Rwandan team.

In March, the United States imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s army, accusing it of contributing to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

Last week, Washington also sanctioned Rwanda’s Defence Ministry over its alleged support for the M23 rebel group, which has seized control of large areas of eastern DR Congo. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels.

The senators, Democratic Senator Jeffrey Merkley and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, warned that the NBA risked becoming complicit in sportswashing by accepting money from a government accused of human rights abuses.

In a letter dated 23 October, they gave the NBA until 2 November to explain its continued partnership with Rwanda and its position on the country’s human rights record.

They also questioned how the association could reconcile its commercial relationship with Rwanda with its stated commitment to justice.

Responding to the letter, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said APR had been withdrawn from the BAL following the sanctions imposed earlier in the year, according to ESPN.

The NBA confirmed that the club would remain excluded for as long as the US sanctions are in place.

APR’s history in the Basketball Africa League

APR is one of Rwanda’s leading basketball clubs and represented the country in the BAL in 2024 and 2025, finishing third in the latter competition.

The team was replaced by Rwanda’s RSSB Tigers for the 2026 season.

The BAL is a pan-African basketball competition established and co-organised by the NBA and FIBA, basketball’s international governing body.

Rwanda remains an official partner of the league and pays to host its finals at the 10,000-seat BK Arena in the capital, Kigali. The country has hosted all but one of the league’s finals and playoff matches since the competition began in 2021.

The NBA reportedly receives millions of dollars annually from Rwanda through marketing and partnership agreements.

**DR Congo raises co