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