-
Mark Fainaru-Wada
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is asking the NBA, Formula 1 and the main international soccer clubs that end the multimillionaire agreements with the Rwandan autocratic government.
The NBA, whose recent expansion of Africa focuses on Rwanda, was the last to receive a letter from Congo officials. The Arsenal football teams, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain and Racing Formula 1 received replicas similarly in recent weeks.
In his letter on Thursday to the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic of the Republic RDC blames an increase in violence in your country. The letter asked Silver to cut the deals of the league with Rwanda, “if not for his own conscience, at least in solidarity with the innocent victims of Rwanda’s aggression.”
The NBA launched the Africa Basketball League, its first League outside of North America, five years ago in the capital of Kigali in the capital of Rwanda. The NBA has said that the United States government encouraged him to do business in Rwand All parts where we operate. “
The RDC previously asked Arsenal, Bayern Munich and the PSG to end their sponsorships “stained with blood” already F1 to end the ongoing conversations with Rwanda about their attempt to organize a future Grand Prix event.
“We have been closely monitoring the developments related to DRC and Rwand Be based on complete information and what it is on the best interest of our sport and our values. “
The letters come in the midst of the violence promoted by the rebel group backed by Rwanda M23 and up to 4,000 troops of Rwanda, according to the United Nations.
Kayikwamba Wagner calls the president of Ruanda, Paul Kagame, an “imperialist autocrat” whose army and support of the M23 has led to the displacement of more than 700,000 people and more than 3,000 deaths in the east of the Congo. Kagame has been compared to Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused of orchestrating a variety of human rights violations.
Kayikwamba Wagner asked in Thursday’s letter if the NBA was aware that Rwanda’s shares have left “thousands trapped in rubber without access to food, water or security.”
The conflict center in the conflict in the RDC there are large amounts of valuable minerals used to manufacture smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles and many more electronic basic products. The UN and the RDC have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 to steal minerals and confiscate the control of mines in the Congo. In his letter to Silver, Kayikwamba Wagner asked: “How sure is that blood mineral is not used to finance sponsorships for the [Basketball Africa League]? “
ESPN previously reported that the NBA Association with Rwanda was central to establish the Africa Basketball League, which was launched in 2021; Each of the first four championships was played in Kigali with a $ 104 million sand built in less than a year. As part of a five -year contract extension signed in 2023, Rwanda pays the NBA commercial entity in Africa $ 6 million to $ 7 million annually in exchange for equipment that shows “Visit Rwanda” on their shirts and the Kigali Arena which welcomes some playoffs. The national airline of Rwanda, Rwandair, is also the official travel partner of the League.
In an interview on Tuesday with Sky News, Kayikwamba Wagner said that football teams visit Rwanda agreements are “advertising for a country that is wreaking havoc in the region of the great lakes and that it is a factor factor.”
Kagame told CNN last week that the RDC’s letters to football teams are a “wasted effort,” and added: “I think they should direct the effort to manage their own problems, their own policy properly.”
The United States, together with the other countries that make up the G7, recently condemned the offensive in the East of the Congo and urged the M23 defense force and Rwanda to end their attacks.
Last season, Burundi’s Africa League basketball team was removed from the competition after losing two games because their players refused to wear shirts that showed the visit to the Rwanda logo. Burundi had closed his border with Rwanda after accusing Kagame’s government of supporting the rebel combatants in Burundi.
