Arsenal Ends Visit Rwanda Deal Over Congo War Crimes Outcry

After eight controversial years, Arsenal Football Club has officially ended its sleeve sponsorship deal with “Visit Rwanda,” a tourism campaign funded by the Rwandan government. The decision, announced this week, comes after months of growing pressure from human rights groups, Congolese officials, and even Arsenal’s own fanbase, many of whom have loudly condemned the sponsorship as a form of “sportswashing” Rwanda’s complicity in atrocities in eastern Congo.

“Arsenal is sponsoring Rwanda. Visit Rwanda is sponsoring war in Congo!”- chanted by Arsenal fans outside the Emirates Stadium

A People-Powered Victory for Congo

This move follows a February 2025 letter from the Congolese government, which demanded that Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain sever all ties with Rwanda. The letter cited overwhelming evidence that Rwanda is backing the M23 rebel group, responsible for mass killings, rape, forced displacement, and the illegal occupation of towns like Goma and Rutshuru in North Kivu.

In April, a group of Arsenal supporters launched a public campaign denouncing the deal. They unfurled banners, created mock billboards (“Visit Tottenham”), and even started a £10 million crowdfund to offer Arsenal a clean financial exit. Their message: no club should profit from a regime accused of war crimes.

The result? Arsenal listened.

The Blood Price of Sponsorship

The now-terminated deal, worth an estimated £10 million a year, had branded “Visit Rwanda” across Arsenal’s sleeves and promotional materials since 2018. But critics have long said the sponsorship was a PR cover for a brutal regime.

Rwanda, under President Paul Kagame, has been accused by the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and several governments of directly supporting the M23, a militia responsible for:

• Executing civilians

• Bombing refugee camps

• Using rape as a weapon of war

• Stealing Congo’s minerals to fund their operations

These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern of proxy warfare, regional destabilization, and profiteering that has displaced over 7 million Congolese, the world’s worst internal displacement crisis today.

Sportswashing No More

This decision mirrors what Bayern Munich did just months earlier: ending its commercial “Visit Rwanda” deal following sustained pressure and protests from both German fans and Congolese activists.

Both clubs were targeted by a social campaign under hashtags like #DontVisitRwanda and #JusticeForCongo, accusing them of laundering Rwanda’s international image while its forces commit crimes in Congo’s east.

“It’s not just a football sponsorship. It’s a betrayal of human rights,” said one Congolese activist in London.

“When Arsenal wore ‘Visit Rwanda,’ they were covering blood with branding.”

LGBTQ+ and Human Rights Voices Weigh In

The “Gay Gooners,” Arsenal’s LGBTQ+ supporter group, publicly welcomed the decision, citing discomfort with Rwanda’s poor record on LGBTQ+ rights and its militarized governance model. Their 2025 member survey showed 86% wanted the deal terminated.

Kinshasa’s Strategy Is Working

President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration has pushed hard for economic isolation of the Kagame regime, especially from brands with global reach. Arsenal’s decision is now part of a broader diplomatic and moral siege that has already seen:

• UN Resolution 2773 condemning the RDF troop presence in Congo

• The Washington Accord forced Kagame into peace talks

• The Doha Framework Agreement isolates M23 militarily and politically

• Sanctions from the US on Rwandan officials

The Arsenal decision is a symbolic strike, not on the battlefield, but in the court of global public opinion.

A Warning to Other Clubs

As of now, PSG and Atlético Madrid still maintain “Visit Rwanda” deals. But with the tide turning, they too may soon face pressure from fans, media, and human rights organizations. No brand is safe from complicity.

Justice Is Not a Slogan

What Arsenal has done is not just a marketing decision; it’s a message. That message is clear: you cannot silence truth with sponsorships. You cannot bomb civilians in Congo and slap a tourism logo on a Premier League jersey to hide it.

This is only the beginning.

For the Congolese people who have lost homes, family, land, and dignity — this is a victory, small but powerful.

For Rwanda, it is yet another crack in the armor.

And for the global football community, it is a reminder:

You can’t kick the ball while standing on a grave.