By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The NBA has confirmed that Rwandan army-funded club Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) was excluded from the 2026 Basketball Africa League because of US sanctions, according to the BBC.
The league had previously announced APR’s absence without explaining the decision. Its reasoning emerged in a response to US senators Jeffrey Merkley and Marsha Blackburn, who questioned the NBA’s continued commercial relationship with Rwanda.
NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said APR had been withdrawn following sanctions imposed on Rwanda’s army in March, ESPN reported. The club will remain barred while those sanctions are in force.
Washington accused the Rwandan army of fuelling the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Further sanctions were imposed on Rwanda’s defence ministry last week over its alleged support for the M23 rebel group. Rwanda denies backing the rebels.
In their October 23 letter, the senators warned that the NBA risked “becoming complicit in sportswashing” and questioned how its partnership with Rwanda aligned with its stated commitment to justice.
Rwanda remains an official BAL partner and pays to host the league’s finals at Kigali’s 10,000-seat BK Arena. According to the BBC, the NBA reportedly receives millions of dollars annually through marketing and partnership agreements with the country.
APR represented Rwanda in the BAL in 2024 and 2025, finishing third in its second appearance. RSSB Tigers replaced the club this year in the 12-team competition, which is jointly organized by the NBA and FIBA.
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