Rwanda's army-backed basketball team has been pulled from an African league following US sanctions targeting the country's military. The NBA confirmed the removal after Washington imposed sanctions on Rwanda's army over its involvement in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The sanctions, directed at the Rwandan military, triggered the team's exit from competition under NBA league rules. The organization did not detail the specific provisions that led to the decision, but the connection between the sanctions and the removal is direct.
The move puts a spotlight on how geopolitical tensions are increasingly spilling into African sports. For basketball fans across the continent, it raises a real question: how many more arenas will feel the weight of decisions made far outside their walls?
Originally published by BBC Africa.