Rwanda will host several F1 Grand Prix races next decade as part of a 10-year agreement with the country’s government, which has been at the centre of Western state sanctions and human rights abuses.
Formula One (F1) will host its first race in Africa in nearly 40 years as it has been confirmed Rwanda will be the stage for Grand Prix races from the start of the early 2030s.
The African Grand Prix was confirmed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in an announcement today (13 October) to take place in Bugesera, Rwanda – 40 kilometers south of Kigali – at a purpose-built circuit.
The first African Grand Prix is expected to join the F1 calendar “early in the next decade” according to the FIA.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “The return of the FIA Formula One World Championship to Africa is a historic moment for our sport and an important step in the continued global growth of motorsport.
“Rwanda has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering a world-class event, and the FIA will work closely with FOM and our partners as this new circuit is developed to the highest international standards.”
The African Grand Prix in Rwanda will be presented by partner Visit Rwanda and builds part of a 10-year partnership between the FIA, F1, the Rwanda government and the Rwanda Development Board.
The partnership intends to bring in new tourism, investment and develop local talent in Rwanda
The FIA said further details regarding the inaugural race date, circuit development milestones and race weekend plans will be announced in due course.
Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, said: “Today belongs to Africa. For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement.
“This ten-year partnership is also an investment in Rwanda’s future. The circuit in Bugesera, alongside the new international airport, will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come, because our aim was never a single race weekend, but a lasting benefit for our people.”
Is Rwanda using F1 for sportswashing?
The Republic of Rwanda has been the subject of criticism from humanitarian rights organisations and Western nation sanctions since the 1994 genocide that transpired in the country.
The European Parliament and UK have threatened and even imposed sanctions against Rwanda over its military support of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s March 23 Movement which has “displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused significant loss of life”, according to Amnesty International.
Human Rights Watch have also found Rwanda President Kagame to have suppressed government criticism from citizens, local independent media and other political parties, with some facing prosecution.
Rwanda has also used the Visit Rwanda tourism and investment entity to sponsor many sporting events and teams. It has been labelled as a means of sportswashing – a soft power tactic to use sports to improve or distract from a government or national controversies and human rights abuses.
Visit Rwanda will be the presenting partner of the F1 African Grand Prix races next decade, and can also be seen on the shirts of football teams, such as Arsenal, FC Bayern Munich and most recently Aston Villa.
Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK’s Head of Campaigns, said Rwanda was using the Visit Rwanda-Aston Villa partnership to “deflect attention from its terrible human rights record”.
Amnesty International have also taken issue with F1 being used as a vehicle for sportswashing in the past.
The organisation condemned the hosting of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March 2022, as Jakens said at the time that the Grand Prix in Jeddah was “sportswashing – plain and simple”.
