The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has called on football clubs Arsenal, Paris St-Germain (PSG), and Bayern Munich, all of whom can be backed with Twin bet, to terminate their sponsorship deals with Visit Rwanda.
The appeal comes amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in DR Congo, with the United Nations estimating that over 400,000 people have been displaced from their homes this year.
Visit Rwanda's sponsorship deals have been under scrutiny by a public official in the DRC who alleges that "they are funded by the illicit mining of blood minerals in occupied parts of DR Congo". Rwanda is accused of transporting these across the border and exporting them from Rwanda.
The Rwandan government has been more widely accused of using sports sponsorships as a tool for 'sportswashing' - a strategy aimed at enhancing its global image despite human rights concerns.
Arsenal entered into a sleeve partnership with Visit Rwanda in 2018. This deal is reported to be worth more than £10m ($12.39 million) per year to the club.
In her letter to Arsenal, DR Congo's Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner stated that "Rwanda's culpability" for the ongoing conflict "has become incontrovertible". She urged Arsenal to end its "blood-stained" sponsorship deal with this nation out of respect for the victims of Rwandan aggression.
Following suit after Arsenal, PSG agreed on a sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda in 2019 while Bayern Munich signed a five-year football development and tourism promotion partnership with them in 2023.
Wagner also wrote letters questioning the morality of these partnerships given the current situation in DR Congo.
Critics argue that these high-profile sports sponsorships help mask serious human rights issues in Rwanda. The Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, Lewis Mudge, stated that "Rwanda has major flaws with due process which violate its own internal laws or international standards."
Despite these allegations, the Rwandan government has dismissed accusations of sportswashing. Its chief tourism officer Irene Murerwa referred to them as "a distraction" from the country's achievements.
The conflict in eastern DR Congo dates back to the 1990s but has escalated recently with intense fighting and significant casualties. The UN reports that at least 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured since Sunday when M23 rebels captured Goma.
M23 is a Congolese rebel group made up of ethnic Tutsis who claim they are fighting for minority rights. However, DR Congo's government alleges that these Rwanda-backed rebels are seeking control over the region's vast mineral wealth.
Rwandan authorities deny direct military involvement in the conflict, insisting their troops are only stationed along the border for protection purposes.
As global attention turns towards this humanitarian crisis and alleged sportswashing by Rwanda through high-profile sports sponsorships, it remains to be seen how Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich will respond to calls to end their deals with Visit Rwanda.
