Abasenateri babiri bo muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika bahamagariye NBA kongera gusuzuma ubufatanye bwayo n’u Rwanda na Perezida Paul Kagame, bavuga ko politiki ya Guverinoma ya Amerika igenda ihinduka ku gihugu gito cya Afurika, gishinjwa guhonyora uburenganzira bwa muntu.
Mu ibaruwa boherereje ku wa Gatanu Komiseri Adam Silver, ba senateri Jeff Merkley, wo muri Oregon na Marsha Blackburn, wo muri Tennessie, banditse ko "bahangayikishijwe cyane n’umubano wimbitse wa NBA n’u Rwanda" bavuga ko shampiyona "ishobora kuba umufatanyacyaha mu kiswe “Sport Washing”, aho guverinoma cyangwa amasosiyete bakoresha siporo kugira ngo bahishe ihonyorwa ry'uburenganzira bwa muntu, ruswa n'ibindi bikorwa. Abasenateri bavuze ko ubwo bufatanye "bunyuranye n'umwuka wa siporo y'Abanyamerika."
Mu itangazo ryashyikirijwe ESPN, Umuvugizi wa NBA, Mike Bass, yagize ati: "Twabonye ibaruwa ku wa Gatanu kandi turi mu nzira yo kuyisubiza."
Aba basenateri n’ubundi mu myaka ibiri ishize bari banditse ibaruwa basubiza inkuru ya ESPN yasobanuraga neza uko NBA yakiriye Perezida Kagame, Perezida w’u Rwanda, kimwe mu bihugu bikennye cyane ku Isi, rwubatse ‘arena’ y’imyanya 10,000 mu murwa mukuru wa Kigali, kandi iyi ‘arena’ ikaba yaragize uruhare runini mu kwagura ibikorwa bya NBA muri Afurika.
Mu gusobanura aho NBA ihagaze ku bufatanye n’u Rwanda, nkuko byagaragajwe na Komiseri wungirije wa NBA, Mark Tatum, asubiza ESPN ndetse n’aba basenateri mu myaka ibiri ishize, ni uko shampiyona "[yakurikije] ubuyobozi bwa Guverinoma ya Amerika ku bijyanye n’aho bikwiye gukorera business ku Isi. Wa mugani niba Leta ya Amerika ikorana business n’u Rwanda kuki NBA yo itakorana business narwo?
Ni muri urwo rwego mu 2024, Tatum yandikiye abasenateri ati: "Niba politiki za Amerika zihindutse ku bijyanye n'ibikorwa bya business mu Rwanda cyangwa birebana n’u Rwanda ... birumvikana ko ibikorwa byacu nabyo byahinduka."
Ubu rero aba basenateri bavuga ko politiki ya Amerika, u Bwongereza n’ibindi bihugu by’u Burayi "yahindutse ku buryo bugaragara" ku Rwanda. Muri iyo baruwa bavuga ko u Rwanda rugira uruhare mu guteza amakimbirane muri DRC, ko rwoherejeyo ingabo 18.000 ndetse ruyobora umutwe wa M23, umutwe w'inyeshyamba "wishe…abasivili babarirwa mu magana, wafashe ku ngufu ku bwinshi, winjije abana mu gisirikare, kandi uhohotera abasivili".
Ku musozo w’ibaruwa yabo, abasenateri basabye NBA gusubiza ibibazo bitandukanye, birimo ikibaza kiti: "Ni uwuhe murongo utukura wa NBA mu kwakira amafaranga ava muri guverinoma z’amahanga zikora ibikorwa byo guhonyora uburenganzira bwa muntu?"
Perezida Kagame we avuga ko u Rwanda rukoresha siporo mu kuzamura ubukungu bwarwo no kurushaho kwimenyekanisha ku ruhando mpuzamahanga. Muri uku kwezi, u Rwanda rwasinyanye amasezerano y’imyaka 10 yo kugarura isiganwa rya Formula 1 muri Afurika, aho biteganijwe ko ruzakira irushanwa rya mbere mu myaka itatu iri imbere.
Umwaka urashize, ikipe ya LA Clippers ibarizwa muri NBA (National Basketball Association) na Los Angeles Rams ibarizwa muri NFL (National Football League) bagiranye amasezerano azamara imyaka yo kwamamaza brand ya “Visit Rwanda” ubu igaragara ku myambaro ya Clippers, no kuri Sofi Stadium ya Los Angeles Rams.
NBA yatangije shampiyona yo muri Afurika (BAL) mu 2021 kandi ubucuruzi bwayo hano bwari bufite agaciro ka hafi miliyari imwe y'amadolari mu myaka itanu ishize. U Rwanda rwishyura NBA miliyoni 6 kugeza kuri miliyoni 7 ku mwaka kugira ngo rwakire amwe mu marushanwa ya BAL ndetse brand ya "Visit Rwanda" igaragara ku myambaro y’amakipe yose yitabira irushanwa hejuru y’andi mahirwe yo kwamamaza.
Mu ntangiriro z'umwaka ushize, DRC yahamagariye NBA, Formula 1 n'amakipe akomeye y'umupira w'amaguru mpuzamahanga guhagarika ubufatanye n’u Rwanda.
Muri icyo gihe, Umuvugizi wa F1 yanditse mu butumwa yandikiye ESPN agira ati: "Tumaze iminsi dukurikiranira hafi ibyerekeranye na DRC n'u Rwanda kandi dukomeje kubikora. Dusuzuma icyifuzo icyo ari cyo cyose gishoboka mu buryo burambuye kandi ibyemezo byose bizaba bishingiye ku makuru yuzuye kandi no ku nyungu z’imikino yacu n'indangagaciro."
Nyuma y'amezi, y’igitutu cy'abafana n'ibitangazamakuru, Bayern Munich na Arsenal bavuze ko barangije amasezerano yabo n'u Rwanda, ariko ntibyabujije andi makipe yo mu Burayi nka Atletico Madrid na Aston Villa guhita aziba icyuho, ndetse “Visit Rwanda” yagurira imikoranire muri Amerika.