Rep. Jim McGovern, Civil Society Press call: NBA Must End Emirates Partnership as UAE Fuels Genocide in Sudan
WASHINGTON—Congressman Jim McGovern and civil society and Sudanese activists held a press conference today calling on the NBA to end its partnership with Emirates, the state-owned airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the NBA Finals kick off.
Full recording and transcript here.
As the UAE partners with the NBA, it is also partnering with a paramilitary group in Sudan that the United States government has found responsible for genocide. Numerous independent investigations, including by the UN, have shown that the UAE is supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – weapons that have been used to commit mass atrocities.
“Fans should know that the sport that they are enjoying is fueling crimes against humanity,” said U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA). “They should know that the NBA is investing in the UAE and the UAE is investing in atrocities in Sudan. We call this sportswashing, where a government uses the glamor of an international sporting event to cover up human rights abuses.
Today, we call out the NBA. You are big, you are profitable. You do not need this deal in the UAE. Civilians in Darfur need to flee drone strikes. People sick with cholera in IDP camps need medicine. Children starving and Kadugli need food. And as long as you allow their suffering to continue, your reputation is at risk.”
“People are right now dying in silence,” said Niemat Ahmadi, Founder and President of Darfur Women Action Group. “And this is as a result of the support from the United Arab Emirates…. The NBA may not be on the ground, but they have the power and they can exercise pressure over the Emirates…. the NBA can be a voice for the people of Sudan, you can end that genocide.”
“The NBA and WNBA are now one degree of separation from perhaps the worst case of racial violence and injustice in the world as a result of this branding deal, which is the largest one that’s ever been signed with a government by these two leagues,” said John Prendergast, Co-founder of The Sentry. “The NBA and the New York Knicks are thus profiting handsomely as well as laundering the reputation of a regime that is underwriting a militia responsible for killing people based on their race and ethnicity. Ironically, NBA players have been civil and human rights leaders for decades… We believe money not tainted with so much blood can come from other sponsors.”
“The NBA just wants you to ignore this,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, President of Refugees International. “They want to pretend it’s not there, that it’s not their problem and they’re assuming that this will not bother anyone enough that there will be any reputational blowback for the NBA. I think it’s all of our jobs to prove that wrong.”
In April 2026, the bipartisan Co-Chairs of the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) sent letters to the NBA, NFL, Disney, and Warner Bros. raising concerns about their partnerships with the UAE in light of its role in fueling atrocities in Sudan.
Sudan is currently facing one of the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crises, with millions forced from their homes and widespread reports of ethnic violence, famine, and attacks on civilians.
Learn more:
www.bloodontheball.org
www.speakoutonsudan.org
Media Contacts:
Sarah Sheffer, Refugees International
ssheffer@refugeesinternational.org
Kria Sakakeeny, The Sentry
kria@thesentry.org
About Refugees International
Refugees International advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights, and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises around the world. To ensure its independence, Refugees International does not accept government or United Nations funding.
About The Sentry
The Sentry is an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy. Our investigations follow the money as it is laundered from war zones to financial centers around the world. We provide evidence and strategies for governments, banks, and law enforcement to hold the perpetrators and enablers of violence and corruption to account. These efforts provide new leverage for human rights, peace, and anti-corruption efforts. Learn more at: https://TheSentry.org