Arsenal To End Partnership With Visit Rwanda

Premier League leaders Arsenal will terminate their partnership deal with Rwanda at the end of this season, the African country’s development board announced yesterday.

The Visit Rwanda partnership, established eight seasons ago, had come under increasing scrutiny due to escalating violence in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which borders Rwanda.

The DRC accuses Rwanda of arming and supporting the M23 militia, which has seized large areas of DRC territory since taking up arms in 2021.

The conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands and triggered a humanitarian crisis, although the DRC and M23 have signed a ceasefire agreement and peace framework in recent months.

In April, Arsenal fans protested against the ongoing partnership, which involves the Visit Rwanda logo being displayed on the sleeves of the players’ jerseys.

“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 stated.

Rwanda continues to maintain partnerships with European giants Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Atletico Madrid.