Rwanda in pole position as F1 seeks return to Africa

The likelihood of a Grand Prix taking place in Kigali is increasing

Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, recently attended the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore.

Shortly afterwards, Lewis Hamilton said:

“We can’t be adding races in other locations and continuing to ignore Africa, which the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa.”

Information from sources close to F1 strongly indicate that an announcement about the addition of a Rwanda race to the championship’s calendar is imminent.

For Kagame, this would be an important next step in his government’s sports policy, which is linked both to the the country’s tourism strategy and its economic development.

Many sports fans will be familiar with the country through its sponsorship activities, for instance the ‘Visit Rwanda’ campaign whose logo has appeared on the shirts of English Premier League team Arsenal.

In the 1990s, Rwanda witnessed a horrific civil war during which more than one million people were killed.

Since then, especially under Kagame’s leadership, the country has secured both stability and significant economic growth, the latter likely to reach almost ten percent this year.

Rwanda aspires to become a Middle-Income Country by 2035 and a High-Income Country by 2050, based on a five year-development agenda underpinned by sectoral strategies focused on meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Yet critics frequently make reference to Kagame’s role in Rwanda’s civil war and label him a dictator. As such, some observers argue that country’s government is involved in sport washing.

Many such voices emanate from countries which were the powers that destabilised countries such as Rwanda during colonial times - this often rankles with some Africans.

Whatever the truth, Hamilton’s words have considerable resonance. What's important is that such sentiment is matched by good governance in Rwanda and by its adherence to internationally agreed rules and norms.