DR Congo protests Formula 1’s ‘indefensible’ decision to race in Rwanda

What the report says

The Democratic Republic of Congo has criticized Formula 1’s plan to stage a Grand Prix in Rwanda, calling the move morally indefensible and warning that it could help improve the image of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The comments came on Thursday after Formula 1, together with Kagame, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, announced on Tuesday that a race would be held in Rwanda in the early 2030s at a planned circuit in Bugesera, near Kigali.

According to the article, this would be Formula 1’s first return to Africa since 1993. The DRC’s foreign minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, said in a statement that her government supports bringing the sport back to the continent, but prefers a rival proposal from South Africa rather than Rwanda. She also said any hosting deal should include credible, independent assurances that no funding comes from conflict-linked minerals or exploitation of Congolese resources.

The dispute takes place against a broader backdrop of strained relations between Kinshasa and Kigali. The DRC, the United States and United Nations experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23 rebels in eastern Congo, while Rwanda denies those claims and says its actions are aimed at protecting itself from armed groups operating across the border. The article also notes that the United States imposed sanctions on Rwandan military figures in March over their support for M23.