F1 Faces Amnesty Backlash Over Rwanda Grand Prix

Formula 1 is returning to Africa for the first time since 1993, after a new 10‑year contract was signed with Rwanda for an African Grand Prix. The race will take place on a newly built 6km track in Bugesera, about 40km from Kigali, and will feature 17 corners and 200m of elevation change. The first race is slated for the early 2030s, and the calendar is likely to avoid the rainy March‑May period.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame welcomed the partnership, saying Rwanda is a success story that combines natural beauty with resilience and ambition, and that the new circuit will attract international investment and innovation.

Amnesty International’s Felix Jakens has called the deal a sports‑washing scheme, arguing that Rwanda’s human‑rights record – including arbitrary detention, torture, and suppression of free speech – and its alleged support for the M23 armed group in eastern Congo undermine the positive image that Formula 1 could promote. A UN human‑rights report found that M23, backed by the Rwandan Defence Forces, committed serious abuses, and Rwanda has denied direct involvement.

Jakens warned that Formula 1 should not act as a bystander, but use its influence to pressure Rwandan authorities for change, noting that the sport has faced similar criticism in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar for partnering with governments whose human‑rights practices are in question.