Bayern Munich Ends ‘Visit Rwanda’ Deal After Human Rights Abuse in DRC

Bayern Munich announced that it will no longer promote the Rwandan government’s “Visit Rwanda” tourism brand. The Bundesliga giants said their agreement with the Rwanda Development Board will be transformed from a commercial sponsorship into a partnership focused on youth football development through the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali. The decision came after months of criticism from human rights watch and Congolese officials who denounced the deal as “blood-stained” because Rwanda has allegedly bankrolled the M23 rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Bayern explained that the contract, which runs until 2028, will now focus on developing players rather than promoting Rwandan tourism.

For people in the DRC, where millions have been displaced and thousands killed by Rwanda-backed rebels, the announcement felt like a rare diplomatic victory. Congolese activists and diaspora groups hailed the shift as proof that persistent campaigning can pierce the veneer of sports marketing and expose atrocities occurring in the mineral-rich region.

Background: Rwanda’s Sportswashing Campaign and the M23 Insurgency

Rwanda has spent millions of dollars to plaster its “Visit Rwanda” logo on the sleeves and hoardings of European clubs like Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Bayern Munich. Bayern signed its five-year agreement in 2023 after ditching a controversial partnership with Qatar. The deal included pitch-side advertising and promotional events designed to “promote tourism and investment opportunities in Rwanda”.

While Kigali portrayed the sponsorships as harmless marketing, human rights organizations say they are classic sportswashing. A UN Group of Experts has accused Rwanda’s army of providing direct military support to the March 23 (M23) rebels, helping them capture swathes of North Kivu province. Human Rights Watch reports that Rwanda-backed M23 fighters have committed unlawful killings, rape, and other apparent war crimes since late 2022, with attacks on populated areas killing civilians and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis.

The same report notes that Rwandan troops are deployed in eastern Congo to support the M23 and urges the UN Security Council to sanction both M23 leaders and the Rwandan officials aiding them.

In February 2025, Congo’s foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner wrote an open letter to Bayern, Arsenal, and PSG. She called their sponsorship deals “ blood-stained” and warned that they were being funded by the illicit mining of Congolese minerals transported through Rwanda. Wagner argued that Rwanda’s culpability for the conflict had become “incontrovertible” and urged the clubs to end the partnerships “for the victims of Rwandan aggression”.

Even Western governments have acknowledged Rwanda’s role. Reuters reported that Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized key towns in eastern Congo, prompting the United States to impose sanctions on a Rwandan minister “central” to the support of M23. UN officials warn that the fighting has included summary executions, bombing of displacement camps, and gang rape. Human rights campaigners such as journalist Michela Wrong describe Rwanda’s sponsorship strategy as an attempt to “sanitize” the regime’s image even while its forces create chaos across the border.

Activist Role: Banners, Petitions, and a £10 Million Crowdfund

Public pressure played a pivotal role in Bayern’s volte-face. In February, Bayern supporters unfurled a banner during a match reading “Visit Rwanda, whoever looks on with indifference is betraying the values of FC Bayern!”. That same month, the Congolese diaspora and human rights groups launched petitions and protests under the hashtag #DontVisitRwanda

A petition on Change.org denounced the sponsorships as funding war and exploitation, accusing President Paul Kagame of supporting armed groups like M23 that are responsible for massacres and the looting of Congo’s mineral wealth. The petition argued that UN reports and human rights organizations have provided overwhelming evidence of Rwanda’s role, yet corporations continue to profit from tourism and sponsorships.

Arsenal fans likewise mobilized. In March 2025, they launched an ambitious £10 million crowdfunder to persuade the club to end its sleeve sponsorship with Visit Rwanda. Organizers said Arsenal should not accept money from a regime accused by the United Nations, G7, and UK government of fuelling conflict in the DRC.

According to the UN refugee agency, over seven million Congolese have been displaced by fighting involving Rwanda-backed militia. Chris Reed, one of the campaigners, argued that fans “should not have to choose between revenue and ethics” and that the crowdfund aimed to raise enough money to allow the club to walk away from the controversial deal.

Within Germany, the issue resonated beyond the fan base. The German press questioned the moral compatibility of Bayern’s values with Kigali’s actions, drawing parallels to the club’s previously controversial partnership with Qatar. The sustained scrutiny pressured club executives to reevaluate the deal.

Political Context: Kinshasa’s Fight Against Rwanda’s Aggression

President Félix Tshisekedi has made confronting Rwandan incursions a cornerstone of his diplomacy. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of exploiting Congo’s mineral wealth and fomenting instability through proxies like the M23. Wagner’s letter to European clubs formed part of a broader strategy to isolate Rwanda diplomatically and economically. Rwanda, however, has dismissed the criticism. In February, the Rwanda Development Board claimed that Congo’s attempts to undermine international partnerships were “misinformation” and a threat to regional peace. Kigali argues it is acting in self-defense and accuses Congo of collaborating with Hutu militias responsible for the 1994 genocide.

The DRC’s position has found sympathetic ears. France and the United Kingdom have both called for Rwanda to withdraw its forces from Congo, and Germany is reconsidering aid to Kigali. The U.S. has imposed sanctions, and the United Nations continues to document evidence of Rwandan support for the M23. In this environment, Bayern’s decision appears as a tacit acknowledgment of the mounting diplomatic and moral pressure on Rwanda.

Symbolic Impact: More Than a Sponsorship

While the financial impact of the cancelled advertising is modest, about €5 million a year, the symbolic effect is profound. For years, Rwanda has sought to project an image of stability and opportunity through high-profile sports deals. Bayern’s withdrawal punctures that narrative. It sends a message that human rights matter more than branding, and that European clubs cannot ignore allegations of complicity in war crimes.

Bayern CEO Jan Christian Dreesen said that in discussions with the Rwanda Development Board, both sides agreed that the most meaningful part of their relationship was the developmental work of the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali.

Rwanda Development Board chief Jean Guy Afrika echoed this, noting that the continued partnership would still contribute to Rwanda’s vision of becoming a hub for tourism and high-performance sport. Critics counter that Rwanda should invest in peace rather than public relations.

For Congolese activists, the episode proves that sustained advocacy works. The success of Bayern fans, Congolese diaspora petitions, and the £10 million Arsenal crowdfunder demonstrates that fans and citizens can pressure billion-euro institutions to choose ethics over revenue. It also shines a spotlight on millions of Congolese displaced by M23 violence and on survivors of massacres and rape whose stories often go unheard.

Conclusion

Bayern Munich’s decision to scrap the commercial element of its Visit Rwanda partnership is a moral triumph for the Democratic Republic of Congo and all who fight for justice. It underscores that sportswashing cannot erase the bloodshed of eastern Congo or excuse those who profit from it. The move should serve as a wake-up call to Arsenal, PSG, Atlético Madrid, and other institutions still lending their platforms to Rwanda. By refusing to sell their reputations to governments implicated in atrocities, clubs can affirm the universality of human rights and support the Congolese people’s quest for peace.