Rwanda: Football and repression
Speech: At Play the Game 2025, Carine Kanimba, executive council member and spokesperson for the World Liberty Congress, delivered a presentation about how Rwanda and authoritarian regimes use football to legitimise power and silence dissent.
A survivor of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, whose story inspired the film Hotel Rwanda, Kanimba described how the Rwandan government has used football sponsorships and global branding to mask human rights abuses, censorship, and intimidation at home.
Through high-profile deals with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid, the Rwandan government promotes a polished international image under the Visit Rwanda campaign – while silencing dissenting voices and consolidating power.
“When regimes can buy prestige through football, it reduces pressure to reform internally. Human rights abuses are overlooked if the check is big enough,” she said.
“Football belongs to the people. It should not be hijacked to whitewash dictatorships.”
Kanimba called on sports leaders, clubs, and sponsors to look beyond glossy sponsorship banners and ask who benefits and who is silenced.
Her presentation formed part of the session “Football’s geopolitical game: Are we heading towards a new world order?"
