The Elite Club: Constructive Sports Diplomacy, Positive Nation Branding, and Strategic Sportswashing in Rwanda

Rwanda has recovered remarkably since the 1994 genocide, experiencing significant economic growth and now considered a model for development in Africa. Sports has been central to this growth as Rwanda has established partnerships with European football clubs, the NBA, and international institutions like FIFA. Rwanda invests in sports for socio-economic development and to promote a positive image to entice tourism and business investment. However, under President Paul Kagame, Rwanda is considered an authoritarian state, accused of political suppression and human rights violations both domestically and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Numerous parties have accused Rwanda of sportswashing, a term describing an authoritarian state's involvement in sports to distract from human rights violations. Scholars have analyzed sportswashing in other states, but Rwanda's case remains unexplored. Subsequently, this thesis explores why and in what ways Rwanda uses sports diplomacy to enhance its global reputation, and how this can be understood through the lens of sportswashing. It employs a close qualitative discourse and case study analysis of Rwanda's sports diplomacy via government documents, its sponsorship deals and partnerships, and its hosting of international sports events. This thesis finds that Rwanda genuinely engages in sports for socio-economic development but strategically appropriates the benefits of sports diplomacy to wash its human rights record. Sports therefore actively promotes Rwanda's nation brand, furthering its positive image while diminishing international recognition of its human rights abuses.