US Senators to NBA: Reevaluate Relationship with Rwanda In Light of Serious Human Rights & DR Congo Concerns

Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a bipartisan letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver questioning the league’s continued business ties with the Rwandan government amid serious human rights concerns and Rwanda’s role in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The senators are asking the NBA to explain how its partnership aligns with its stated commitment to human rights and its pledge to follow U.S. policy. Read the senators’ letter and read ESPN’s coverage of the story.

Sasha Lezhnev, Senior Policy Advisor at The Sentry, said: “Rwanda’s invasion of the DR Congo with up to 18,000 troops and command of an armed group that has recruited child soldiers and committed alleged war crimes should raise alarm bells with the NBA. It’s time for the league and the Clippers to cancel their commercial relationships with Rwanda, just as Arsenal and Bayern Munich did last year.”

The Sentry has documented the roles of Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC government in the conflict in eastern DRC for several years. Earlier this year, we launched the Blood on the Ball campaign to spotlight sportswashing by governments involved in fueling some of the world’s deadliest conflicts, particularly Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates.

Read more our work on this issue – https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/nba-human-rights-rwanda  and https://thesentry.org/2025/12/04/80864/u-s-led-peace-deal-wont-end-war-without-new-pressure/