Letter to National Basketball Association concerning Emirates partnership
Background image from Canva Pro. Foreground image from Sudanese social media.
Operation Broken Silence is joining 17 other humanitarian and human rights organizations in calling on the National Basketball Association to end future partnership with Emirates, the flagship airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), unless the UAE ends its documented role in fueling atrocities in Sudan.
•••••
As the Emirates NBA Cup mid-season tournament enters its final rounds in Las Vegas this week ahead of December 16th’s championship game, a coalition of humanitarian and human rights organizations is calling on the National Basketball Association to end future partnership with Emirates, the flagship airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), unless the UAE ends its documented role in fueling atrocities in Sudan.
The groups warn that the “Emirates NBA Cup” lends legitimacy and prestige to the UAE, a government accused of providing a massive flow of weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass killings, sexual violence, and genocide in Sudan. More than 12 million people have been forced from their homes, and hundreds of thousands have died, the vast majority of them civilians, since the conflict escalated. In recent weeks, RSF forces seized the city of El Fasher and launched a new massacre of civilians there. The RSF has continued atrocities in the Kordofan region, including drone strikes this week on a kindergarten and a nearby hospital.
The SpeakOutonSudan campaign is asking fans to sign a petition calling on the NBA to end its sponsorship agreement with Emirates as long as the UAE continues to support the genocide in Sudan. “This partnership is not innocent—it is sportswashing, and it hides the suffering of Sudanese people behind a trophy,” the petition states.
At 3pm PST on Tuesday, December 16th, activists will hold a demonstration in Toshiba Plaza opposite T-Mobile Arena, ahead of the Emirates NBA Cup Final. Campaign leaders are available for remote and in-person interviews – please contact Prapti Ajmera, pajmera@westendstrategy.com.
“Millions of Sudanese civilians have been displaced, attacked, and killed with weapons supplied by the UAE, yet the NBA continues to give that same government a global platform of celebration and prestige,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International. “The NBA has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to stand on the right side of history by ending this sponsorship. Sports should stand for integrity and human dignity—not help cover up the suffering of millions.”
“The NBA’s credibility as a league that stands for justice and fairness is at risk,” said John Prendergast, co-founder of The Sentry. “Will the league take action to break off their connection to a government that is funding and arming genocide in Sudan? Or is “shut up and dribble” going to be the way forward for the NBA on this issue?”
“The reality is that even as the Emirates NBA Cup plays out, tens of thousands of Sudanese civilians have been killed by a group directly armed by the United Arab Emirates,” said Fareed Zein, Board Chairman of the Sudanese American Public Affairs Association. The NBA should partner with the Sudanese people, not those enabling genocide.”
The SpeakOutOnSudan campaign is led by a coalition of groups including Refugees International; The Sentry; No Business With Genocide; The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights; Sudan Unlimited; Advocacy Network for Africa (AdNA); American Friends Service Committee; The Human Security Project; Stop Genocide Now; Darfur Women Action Group; SIHA Network; Confluence Advisory; Decolonize Sudan; Pax Christi New York State; Operation Broken Silence; iACT; the Sudanese American Public Affairs Association; and Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC).
Another Way To Help
Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes. Not a fan of fitness? We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference. Donations are being matched for a limited time!
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto. Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 80-0671198. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Shareables
Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.
Share Our Posts: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Reddit | LinkedIn
Operation Broken Silence is joining 17 other humanitarian and human rights organizations in calling on the NBA to end future partnership with Emirates, unless the UAE ends its documented role in fueling atrocities in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-national-basketball-association-concerning-emirates-partnership
The SpeakOutonSudan campaign is asking fans to sign a petition calling on the NBA to end its sponsorship agreement with Emirates as long as the UAE continues to support the genocide in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-national-basketball-association-concerning-emirates-partnership
At 3pm PST on Tuesday, December 16th, activists will hold a demonstration in Toshiba Plaza opposite T-Mobile Arena, ahead of the Emirates NBA Cup Final. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-national-basketball-association-concerning-emirates-partnership
Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-national-basketball-association-concerning-emirates-partnership
