Washington — Sudan Now
Human Rights Watch said that the expansion of financial partnerships between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United Arab Emirates could contribute to what it described as “sportswashing,” amid growing accusations that the UAE is supporting the RSF, which have been accused of committing serious abuses during the ongoing war in Sudan.
The organization said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the prominent display of Emirates Airline branding during the 2026 NBA Finals comes at a time when evidence is mounting regarding military support that human rights reports say is being provided to the RSF.
Joy Shea, Senior UAE Researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that the NBA should use its platform to speak openly about the UAE’s human rights record, including its alleged role in Sudan, rather than contributing to the enhancement of its image through international sporting activities.
The statement pointed to a recent report published by the organization, which concluded that Colombian military contractors, believed to have been recruited by a UAE-based company, passed through Emirati military facilities before being deployed to Sudan to support the RSF. The organization argued that these findings provide further evidence of the UAE’s role in strengthening the military capabilities of forces accused of committing widespread human rights abuses.
These statements come as the war in Sudan continues, since April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. The conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing and forcing millions of Sudanese to flee both inside the country and abroad.
Human Rights Watch said that reports issued by United Nations experts, human rights organizations, and international media over recent years have documented flows of weapons, personnel, and other forms of support to the RSF. It added that this has contributed to prolonging the conflict and worsening the humanitarian crisis.
The organization added that the UAE consistently denies providing any military support to the RSF and maintains that its assistance to Sudan is limited to humanitarian aid. However, Human Rights Watch argues that Emirati authorities cannot be detached from activities taking place within state-controlled facilities and installations.
In a related context, Human Rights Watch noted that the NBA has expanded its partnerships in recent years with Emirati institutions and entities, including the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and Emirates Airline, in deals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The organization called on the NBA to take steps to ensure that its sporting events are not used to distract from human rights abuses or to improve the image of governments accused of supporting parties involved in armed conflicts.
These positions come weeks after another report published by Human Rights Watch regarding Colombian fighters who, according to the organization, received training or passed through bases in the United Arab Emirates before being deployed alongside the RSF. These allegations have been previously denied by Abu Dhabi.
The issue of external support to the warring parties in Sudan remains one of the most contentious internationally, amid repeated calls to halt the flow of arms and funding to the conflict actors as a step toward reaching a political settlement and ending the war.
