🔗 Share this article

Arsenal Football Club has officially announced that its contentious sponsorship partnership with Visit Rwanda will terminate in the coming June.

Background and Scrutiny

The partnership, said to be worth around £10m per year, was first established and has since faced significant scrutiny.

The backlash is due to Rwanda's alleged support for the M23 militia in persistent fighting in the eastern part of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Earlier this year, Arsenal faced allegations of delivering an "outrageous" snub to the Congolese government by not arranging a meeting with Congolese diplomat Thérèse Wagner to talk about the deal.

Deal Composition and Aims

Visit Rwanda operates as a branch of the Rwanda Development Board, which is a government department.

Many speculate that Arsenal signed and maintained this partnership primarily to expand their fanbase in Africa.

However, the partnership has now terminated after both parties “jointly decided” to part ways.

“Collaboratively, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have exceeded the original goals of the partnership – supporting environmental protection and eco-friendly travel, inspiring millions of supporters to explore Rwanda, and establishing a durable base for travel industry expansion,” read an club announcement.

The release further noted that the partnership has also assisted Rwanda's goal of becoming an global sports center in Africa and welcome more worldwide tournaments while delivering community soccer programs that have supported many aspiring footballers and coaches develop their skills and promote increased engagement in athletics nationwide.

Leadership View and Supporter Response

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's top executive, characterized the deal as a “significant journey” and claimed it had been “propelling” the club's ambitions.

But that is not how a segment of the club's followers, with the protest movement Gunners Supporting Peace holding rallies outside the North London venue during the first semi-final encounter in Europe's premier competition against the French club in April's conclusion.

Activists unveiled a banner that read “Drop Visit Rwanda” and provided wristbands to conceal the Visit Rwanda logo on jerseys.

Wider Landscape and Additional Teams

During that period, Paris Saint-Germain continued their sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda for several more years.

Meanwhile, the Spanish club inked a recent contract for the same period that has led to the emblem appearing on the Spanish club's first-team and women's team jerseys.