New Campaign During NBA Playoffs Urges NBA to Suspend UAE Partnership Over Role in Sudan Atrocities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As millions tune into the NBA playoffs, a coalition of human rights organizations and Sudanese activists today launched a campaign urging the National Basketball Association to suspend its commercial brand sponsorship deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) until the UAE ends its military support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the militia accused by the United Nations and others of atrocities and acts bearing “the hallmarks of genocide” in Sudan.
The campaign, Blood on the Ball, is led by The Sentry, the anti-war crimes NGO co-founded by John Prendergast and George Clooney, and by Refugees International. Running through the NBA Finals, the campaign will spotlight the growing contradiction between the NBA’s public commitment to social justice and its commercial branding relationship with the UAE. The UAE has spent over $4.5 billion in total on sportswashing – sponsoring sports teams and leagues in the United States and Europe, including the NBA, soccer, auto racing, and more.
The campaign launches amid growing congressional scrutiny over the UAE’s role in Sudan’s civil war, which has displaced more than 12 million people.
On April 27, 2026, U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern and Christopher H. Smith, the bipartisan Co-Chairs of the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, sent letters to four major corporations, including the NBA, urging them to reconsider UAE-linked partnerships. They warned that these corporations risk “enabling or obscuring human rights violations” through relationships that help elevate the UAE’s global image while atrocities continue.
John Prendergast, co-founder of The Sentry said: “The UAE understands that global reputation matters, which is why it spends billions on sports sponsorships around the world. Sportswashing is not new, from Roman bread and circuses to modern authoritarian states using global sports to distract from repression and war. The NBA should not allow its platform, players or credibility to help sanitize a government widely accused of funding a genocidal militia in Sudan.”
According to multiple investigations, including The Sentry’s latest report which uncovered deep financial ties between the UAE and RSF, the UAE has emerged as the principal external backer of the RSF, supplying weapons and drones used in attacks on civilians and helping sustain the conflict.
Meanwhile, the UAE has invested billions globally in sports sponsorships and acquisitions through state-linked entities such as Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, and DP World, including more than $300 million tied to NBA partnerships, branding, and the Emirates NBA Cup.
Daniel P. Sullivan of Refugees International said: “The NBA now faces a clear moral and reputational test. The UAE knows that sports partnerships are designed to strengthen reputations and create positive emotional associations – and that’s exactly what they’re looking for in their partnership with the NBA. The UAE’s support for RSF atrocities in Sudan must end – and while the UAE is supporting the RSF, the NBA’s partnership with the UAE is a reputational liability. Simply put, the NBA should not be partnering with those enabling genocide.”
Advocates point to recent examples where public pressure forced sports organizations to reconsider controversial partnerships. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chelsea F.C. was sold after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government. More recently, FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal F.C. both moved to end “Visit Rwanda” sponsorship deals amid criticism over Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebel group and atrocities in eastern Congo.
Justyna Gudzowska, Executive Director of The Sentry said: “While millions will watch the NBA finals, Sudan is entering its fourth year of war amid what many have called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, marked by mass killings, sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing. Credible evidence has linked the UAE to the arming of the RSF, and no investment in global reputation can outweigh responsibility for fueling this devastation. Silence is no longer an option.”
The campaign is calling on the NBA to suspend its brand sponsorship deal with the UAE until it halts military support for the RSF.
For more information on Blood on the Ball or to schedule an interview with The Sentry, please contact Kria Sakakeeny, kria@thesentry.org
For more information or to schedule an interview with Refugees International, please contact Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinternational.org.
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.