The Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) will remain ineligible for the Basketball Africa League while U.S. sanctions on Rwanda’s military remain in force, although the NBA continues its wider commercial partnership with the country
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has confirmed that United States sanctions against Rwanda’s military led to the withdrawal of its army-backed basketball club, Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR), from the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Letter to U.S. senators reveals the reason
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum disclosed the reason in a letter responding to U.S. Sens. Jeffrey Merkley and Marsha Blackburn, who had questioned the league’s continued commercial relationship with Rwanda.
He said APR would remain ineligible to compete for as long as the sanctions were in place.
Sanctions over alleged M23 support
Washington imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on March 2, accusing it of supporting, training and fighting alongside the M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Rwanda has rejected accusations of backing the rebels.
RSSB Tigers replace APR
APR had represented Rwanda in the BAL in 2024 and 2025, finishing third in its second appearance. The club was replaced by fellow Rwandan side RSSB Tigers in the 2026 competition.
The NBA had previously confirmed APR’s absence without publicly explaining the decision.
Partnership with Kigali continues
However, the exclusion has not ended the NBA’s broader relationship with Rwanda. The country remains a commercial partner of the league and continues to host major BAL fixtures, including the finals, at Kigali’s 10,000-seat BK Arena.
Tatum said the NBA follows U.S. government policy when determining where and how it operates internationally, but he did not directly address the senators’ wider questions about the partnership.
Senators question the NBA’s standards
The senators had raised concerns that the league’s commercial arrangements could help improve Rwanda’s international image despite allegations of human rights abuses and involvement in the conflict in eastern DRC.
Their questions also focused on the NBA’s standards for maintaining partnerships with governments accused of such violations.
The development comes as Washington increases pressure on Kigali. On Oct. 28, the U.S. announced additional sanctions against Rwanda’s Ministry of Defense and Zigama Credit and Savings Society over alleged support for M23.
