Rwanda’s military-affiliated APR Basketball Club will remain excluded from the Basketball Africa League while U.S. sanctions against the country’s military remain in effect, the National Basketball Association said.
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum confirmed the position in a letter responding to U.S. senators who questioned the league’s continued partnership with Rwanda over its alleged involvement in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tatum said APR would remain “ineligible to compete in the BAL while these sanctions remain in effect,” according to a letter reported by ESPN on Nov. 3.
APR, a club affiliated with Rwanda’s Ministry of Defense, was withdrawn from the 2026 competition and replaced by RSSB Tigers, another Rwandan team, which went on to win the championship.
The decision highlights how international sanctions can affect sporting organisations linked to governments, even as wider commercial partnerships continue.
US accuses Rwanda of backing M23
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior military officials on March 2, accusing them of supporting the M23 armed group in eastern Congo.
In its announcement, the Treasury said the Rwanda Defence Force was “actively supporting, training, and fighting alongside” M23.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congo.
“We expect the immediate withdrawal of Rwanda Defence Force troops, weapons, and equipment,” Bessent said.
Rwanda rejected the sanctions, saying they unfairly targeted one side of the conflict.
In a March 2 statement, the Office of the Government Spokesperson said the measures “misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting M23 and maintains that its security concerns in eastern Congo must also be addressed.
Senators question NBA partnership
The NBA’s explanation followed an Oct. 26 letter from U.S. senators Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, and Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, urging the league to reconsider its relationship with Rwanda.
The senators said they were “increasingly alarmed by the NBA’s deepening relationship with Rwanda” amid the conflict in Congo.
They also warned that the league risked “becoming complicit in sportswashing” by the Rwandan government.
Tatum said the NBA follows U.S. government policy when deciding where and how it conducts international business.
“Our business around the world is not one-size-fits-all, but in all instances we follow U.S. policy in deciding where and how to operate,” he wrote.
The NBA did not announce plans to end its broader partnership with Rwanda.
Rwanda has hosted several BAL playoff and final events in Kigali since the league launched in 2021, making basketball an important part of its international sports and tourism strategy.
The league’s latest position leaves APR’s future participation dependent on developments in U.S. sanctions policy.
