Formula 1 says it is “closely monitoring” the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the context of Rwanda’s bid to host a grand prix.
The comments come in response to a letter to F1 from the DRC’s minister of foreign affairs Therese Kayikwamba Wagner which expressed concern at the prospect of Rwanda hosting F1.
Kayikwamba Wagner questioned “whether Rwanda would be a choice that best represents our continent” and urged F1 to “end negotiations and rule Rwanda out as a potential host”.
Rwanda and South Africa are both bidding to stage a grand prix on African soil in 2027 – in what would be the continent’s first race since 1993.
However, senior sources have said the prospects of a race in Rwanda have receded as a consequence of a number of factors, including the conflict in the DRC.
An F1 spokesperson said: “We have received requests from multiple locations around the world that wish to host a future F1 race.
“We assess any potential request in detail and any future decisions would be based on the full information and what is in the best interests of our sport and our values.”
Last December, Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced his country’s bid for a grand prix while attending the prize giving of F1’s governing body the FIA, which was hosted in the capital Kigali.
A state-of-the-art track is being built to F1 standards close to Kigali’s new Bugesera airport, designed by former Benetton driver Alexander Wurz, with a vision which aims to blend motorsport with sustainability and natural beauty.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told BBC Sport Africa in December that “Africa deserves a F1 event” and that “Rwanda is the best place”.
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Rwanda’s bid to stage a grand prix is also part of a larger strategy to position the country as a global sports hub but the F1 project is under threat because of escalating tensions in the region.
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have attacked Congolese government forces in the South Kivu province, breaking a two-day lull in fighting.
M23 says its objective is to safeguard the interests of the Congolese Tutsi and other minorities, including protecting them against Hutu rebel groups who escaped to the DRC after taking part in the 1994 in genocide in Rwanda that targeted Tutsis.
Rwanda has been accused by a group of United Nations experts of not only backing the M23 but also of materially benefitting from the mineral wealth that is being smuggled into the country.
Rwanda has denied this and said that it is only interested in shoring up its border, but Kayikwamba Wagner said she was “deeply concerned” about the country’s suitability to stage the race in a letter to London-based Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali.
“Does F1 really want its brand smeared by a blood-stained association with Rwanda?” she wrote.
“Is this really the best country to represent Africa in global motorsport?”
The rebels have seized vast swathes of land in the eastern DR Congo, including the major city of Goma.
Around 2,900 people have been killed since early January as a result of the hostilities, the latest UN figures suggest.
Rwanda’s involvement in football sponsorship has also come in for criticism.
Former DR Congo captain Youssouf Mulumbu is calling on Paris St-Germain to reconsider its partnership with Visit Rwanda as he attempts to raise awareness of the conflict and humanitarian crisis in his homeland which has left people “living in fear”.