Arsenal Football Club has announced that its controversial sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda will conclude in June next year. The partnership, which began in 2018 and is reportedly worth around £10m per annum, has been under intense scrutiny due to Rwanda's support for the M23 militia.
The M23 militia is involved in conflicts occurring in the eastern region of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In February, Arsenal faced accusations of delivering an "outrageous" snub to the Congolese government by not meeting with Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner to discuss this contentious deal.
Visit Rwanda is a branch of the Rwanda Development Board, a government department. It is widely speculated that Arsenal entered into and maintained this partnership as part of their strategy to expand their fanbase on the African continent.
End of a partnership
However, this arrangement has now reached its conclusion after both parties "mutually agreed" to part ways. Despite facing backlash over its association with Visit Rwanda due to political concerns related to conflict involvement, Arsenal stated that their partnership had "exceeded original goals."
Arsenal released statement:
“Together, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have exceeded the original goals of the partnership – promoting conservation and sustainable tourism, inspiring millions of supporters to discover the country, and creating a lasting foundation for tourism growth,”
“The partnership has also supported Rwanda’s ambition to become an international sporting hub in Africa and host more global sporting events whilst delivering grassroots football initiatives that have helped hundreds of young players and coaches develop their skills and inspire greater participation in sport across the country.”
Interestingly enough, while Arsenal ends its relationship with Visit Rwanda, other football clubs have extended or initiated similar partnerships. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) extended their sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda until 2028 during February. Atletico Madrid also signed a new deal for an identical period which resulted in displaying the logo on both men’s and women’s team shirts. While some may view these partnerships as mere business transactions aimed at expanding fan bases and generating revenue streams for football clubs; others see them as controversial due to potential political implications associated with sponsoring entities like Visit Rwanda.
