Arsenal to end eight-year ‘Visit Rwanda’ sponsorship amid scrutiny over regional conflict

Arsenal will discontinue their long-running “Visit Rwanda” partnership at the end of the season, the Rwanda Development Board confirmed on Wednesday, Sport360NG reports.

The sponsorship agreement, launched eight seasons ago and prominently displayed on the sleeves of Arsenal’s kits, has faced growing criticism in recent years, particularly as violence escalated in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which borders Rwanda.

Authorities in the DRC have repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, whose renewed offensive since 2021 has resulted in the capture of several territories, thousands of deaths and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Although a ceasefire and peace framework were recently signed, concerns around the conflict continued to place the partnership under scrutiny.

In April, sections of the Arsenal fanbase staged protests calling for an end to the sponsorship.

“Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have mutually agreed to conclude their partnership at the end of this season, bringing to a close an eight-season collaboration that included Visit Rwanda as Arsenal’s first Official Sleeve Partner,” the Rwanda Development Board said in a statement.

Despite the termination, Rwanda maintains other high-profile sports partnerships, including deals with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.