NBA comes under fire from activists for partnering with Rwandan President Paul Kagame
NBA has been trying to expand its base throughout the world and one of the places it has been focussing on is Africa, especially since 2018. In the same year, after four years in office, commissioner Adama Silver met with Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, in an effort to popularize the NBA in Africa.
When Silver met with Kagame, he was accompanied by his deputy Mark Tatum, and the president of Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri. Right after their first meeting, Kagame took the first step towards bringing the NBA to Africa.
Under him, the government built a $104 million arena in Petit Stade. The stadium has been hosting the Basketball Africa League since 2020.
However, President Kagame is a controversial leader who is accused of an autocratic streak by his critics. They see the league as an attempt by the Rwandan leader to whitewash his actions. The Basketball Africa League is currently valued at $1 billion.
Elizabeth Shackelford, who is a former US diplomat, has questioned the NBA's decision to partner with Paul Kagame's government.
“I'd like for the NBA to explain to us why it's OK partnering with someone who individually created this kind of suffering, both in his country and beyond,” Shackelford told ESPN.
One of the biggest allegations against Kagame has been made by Victoire Ingabire. She fought an election against Kagame and lost by a large margin. In a conversation with ESPN, Ingabrie said that the government had killed her friends and colleagues.
According to ESPN, Kagame agreed to appear for an interview, however, he later declined. Former USA President Barack Obama is also one of the investors in the Basketball Africa League. He also refused to comment.
Human rights activist says Paul Kagame wants to be 'cool' like Barack Obama by aligning with NBA
Former US President Barack Obama has been actively involved in basketball. He is known as an avid basketball player. According to Mohamed Keita, Paul Kagame is imitating "Obama's cool."
Keita, who is the senior Africa policy adviser for the Human Rights Foundation, criticized the NBA's decision.
"It's as if the NBA invited and partnered with a mosquito to do a campaign about health," Keita says.
Since the Basketball Africa League started, Kagame has been a constant face at the league games in the USA.
He attended the All-Star Game in Toronto, given his "dear friend" Ujiri's involvement in 2016. He also attended the All-Star Game two years later in Los Angeles. Kagame also attended one of the Golden State Warriors' playoff games.