Rwanda's army team removed from Africa league after US sanctions, NBA says
The US imposed sanctions on Rwanda's army over its role in the conflict in DR Congo.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) says it removed Rwanda's army team from its African league because of US sanctions imposed on the country in March.
The NBA had previously said the Rwandan army-funded Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) club would not participate in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL).
The association was responding to complaints by two US senators, who sent a letter asking them to reconsider their partnership with the Rwandan team. The US placed sanctions on the Rwandan army, accusing it of fuelling the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo in March.
Among other queries, they also questioned how the association could "reconcile its continued partnership with Rwanda with its purported commitment to justice".