# Congo urges NBA, F1 and football clubs to cut Rwanda sponsorships

The Democratic Republic of Congo is pressing the NBA, Formula 1 and major European football clubs to end sponsorship deals with Rwanda, arguing that the partnerships conflict with Rwanda’s role in violence in eastern Congo. The latest letter went to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, while similar appeals were already sent to Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Formula 1.

The packet says Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner framed the issue as a moral and human-rights question. She urged sports organizations to examine whether their public commitments match business ties to a government that Congo accuses of fueling conflict through support for the M23 rebel movement.

The NBA is especially exposed because of its long-running presence in Rwanda through the Basketball Africa League. The league has hosted its championship games in Kigali, and Rwanda also pays for branding rights tied to the NBA’s African operations. The source says the arrangement has been worth $6 million to $7 million annually under a 2023 extension, with Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” branding visible in the partnership.

The wider political context is severe. The report says Congo and the United Nations accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 and that the conflict has displaced more than 700,000 people and killed more than 3,000 in eastern Congo. Kayikwamba Wagner’s letters tie those figures to a broader argument that sports sponsorship should not be insulated from the realities of war and displacement.

Formula 1 has not yet sealed a deal, but the packet says it had been in talks with Rwanda about a future grand prix. That makes the DRC’s message both preventive and rhetorical: Congo wants to stop new agreements as well as end existing ones.

The sports organizations, for their part, are caught between business strategy and reputational risk. The NBA said it would continue to follow U.S. government guidance where it operates, and an F1 spokesperson said any future decision would depend on the full information and what is in the best interests of the sport. Those responses do not resolve the underlying criticism, but they show that the companies are aware of the pressure.

The conflict dimension is what gives the story its force. Sports sponsorships are usually sold as neutral marketing tools, but the Congolese government is trying to recast them as public endorsements of a state it accuses of aggression. That is why the letters mention not only basketball and soccer but also the phrase “blood-stained” sponsorships in the packet’s summary.

For global sports brands, the challenge is whether to stay in a commercially attractive market, especially in Africa, or pull back because of the political cost. Congo’s campaign suggests those decisions may no longer be treated as purely commercial.

Event date: 2025-02-15