F1 accused of offering Rwanda a 'sportswashing prize' after 10-year deal
Rwanda President Paul Kagame and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali - Photo: Race Pictures
Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Human rights campaigners Amnesty International have accused Formula One of offering Rwanda a "sportswashing prize" following the announcement of a 10-year African Grand Prix deal on Tuesday.
Taking place at a new circuit on the outskirts of the Rwandan capital Kigali, the 'African Grand Prix' will be the first F1 race held on the continent since the 1993 South African GP. A firm date for the event's debut is yet to be confirmed, but the Rwanda race is set to launch in the "early 2030s."
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem congratulated Rwandan President Paul Kagame on "a landmark moment for his nation," while F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was positive the event will create "lasting economic and social benefits." Questions remain, however, not only regarding the circuit layout from many fans online, but also the host country's human rights record.
Amnesty International: African GP deal a 'sportswashing prize' to Rwanda
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Photo: F1
In a statement released on Wednesday, Amnesty International UK's Head of Campaigns, Felix Jakens, drew particular attention to the African GP's title sponsor, Visit Rwanda, as a "sportswashing prize for the Rwandan authorities."
The sponsor, seen on the shirts of Premier League clubs Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as having recently entered partnerships with the Los Angeles Rams and La Clippers in the US, has been criticised as a vehicle to boost Rwanda's reputation on the international scene, while deflecting from human rights concerns at home.
Jakens said: "A ten-year Grand Prix ‘presented by Visit Rwanda’ is a sportswashing prize for the Rwandan authorities. Arsenal, Aston Villa, the cycling world championships and now Formula 1 – Rwanda is buying into the world’s biggest sports to polish its image and deflect from its appalling human rights record.
“Formula 1 says sport can be ‘a positive force for good’. That rings hollow if F1 shrugs off who it is partnering with. Rwanda’s authorities are prolific in arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of free speech – these are abuses at home."
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Attention was also drawn to Rwanda's actions on foreign soil, with the United Nations having accused the government of backing the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). M23 have previously been accused by Amnesty International of having "committed horrific human rights abuses against artisanal miners... while facilitating the trafficking of gold and coltan to neighbouring Rwanda with the help of Rwandan authorities.”
Pleading with F1 to push for change, Jakens concluded: "Beyond its borders, we are seeing bloodshed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda is playing a significant role in fuelling the conflict and related human rights abuses – both through its support to the M23 armed group and the direct actions of Rwanda’s military in eastern Congo.
“Formula 1 must not be a bystander. It should use its influence with the Rwandan authorities to push for change, rather than lend its brand to a PR exercise.”
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