Rwanda's army team removed from Africa league after US sanctions, NBA says

What the report says

The NBA says it has removed Rwanda’s army-backed Armée Patriotique Rwandaise, or APR, from the Basketball Africa League because of US sanctions imposed on Rwanda’s army earlier this year. BBC Africa reports that the league had already indicated APR would not take part in the 2026 season, but this is the first time the NBA has publicly tied that decision to the sanctions.

The move came after two US senators wrote to the NBA questioning its relationship with Rwanda. In response, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said the club had been withdrawn from the competition, according to ESPN, and that it would remain out while sanctions stay in force. The BAL is co-organised by the NBA and Fiba and is a major pan-African basketball competition.

BBC Africa says the sanctions relate to accusations that Rwanda’s military has helped fuel the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, an allegation Kigali denies. The article also notes that the US later sanctioned Rwanda’s defence ministry over alleged support for the M23 rebel group. Rwanda is an official BAL partner and hosts the league’s finals in Kigali, making the decision significant both for the competition and for wider debates over sports partnerships and human rights.

APR is one of Rwanda’s leading teams and had finished third in the league last year. It was replaced by the RSSB Tigers in the current competition.