Dynamo from Burundi Withdraws Amid Rwanda Protest
Burundian basketball club Dynamo has withdrawn from the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in protest, refusing to wear jerseys featuring the ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo. The team covered the logo during their first game in the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria but forfeited their subsequent matches. This protest is amid political tensions between Burundi and Rwanda, as Burundi closed its borders with Rwanda in January, accusing its neighbor of funding rebel attacks.
The political backdrop involves Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye accusing Rwanda’s government, led by Paul Kagame, of supporting the Red Tabara rebel group responsible for a militia attack that killed 20 people in December. While President Kagame denies the accusation, the strained relations have led to Burundi branding him a “bad neighbor.”
BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall stated that Dynamo refused to comply with the league’s jersey and uniform requirements. The team initially taped over the ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo during their victory against Cape Town Tigers but subsequently forfeited matches against FUS Rabat and Petro de Luanda. Dynamo guard Bryton Hobbs claimed on social media that the government instructed the team president to cover the logo, leading to their withdrawal.
“The government told our [club] president [Joe Dassin] that we can’t play, so they told the BAL that we have to forfeit our game because we blocked out the ‘Visit Rwanda’ thing,” Hobbs said in an Instagram Live post.
The situation is described as “very unfortunate” by BAL President Gallo Fall, emphasizing that Dynamo Basketball Club failed to comply with the league’s rules, leading to their automatic withdrawal under FIBA (International Basketball Federation) regulations. Dynamo, based in Bujumbura, was making its debut in the BAL and was slated to play six games in the Kalahari Conference. The withdrawal underscores the intersection of sports, politics, and regional tensions in the African context, impacting players, fans, and the overall dynamic of the tournament.
