Arsenal, Bayern, and PSG's 'Visit Rwanda' Deals Face Scrutiny Amid Sportswashing Claims

The government of President Paul Kagame, in power since 2000, has invested significantly through its tourism board in commercial partnerships with top clubs like Arsenal, PSG, Bayern Munich, and Atletico Madrid.

Rwanda has also hosted major international sporting events, including the 2023 FIFA Congress, where Gianni Infantino was re-elected unopposed.

Arsenal's deal with Visit Rwanda, initiated in 2018 and set to conclude this season, is valued at approximately £10 million ($13.4 million) annually, according to the club's financial records.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

Bayern Munich signed a five-year contract in 2023, which was recently restructured, while Atletico Madrid secured a three-year deal in April.

The relationship between Arsenal's owners, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), and the Rwandan Development Board (RDB) has also led to a new partnership with the KSE-owned NFL franchise, the Los Angeles Rams.

The RDB justifies these investments by pointing to tourism's economic impact, which it claims generated $620 million in 2023. The United States is Rwanda's largest source of visitors, prompting the targeted advertising campaigns.

However, these sponsorship deals have been shadowed by controversy and accusations of sportswashing. Fan groups have voiced strong opposition.

In April, the ‘Gunners For Peace’ group protested Arsenal's ties by erecting a "Visit Tottenham" billboard near the Emirates Stadium. A survey by the Arsenal Supporters Trust revealed that 90% of respondents want the club to end its partnership with Visit Rwanda when the contract expires. Supporters of Bayern and PSG have also staged their own protests.

The criticism stems from serious allegations against the Rwandan government. Since 2022, United Nations reports have linked Rwanda to the M23, an armed group operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Rwandan government has categorically denied providing financial or military support to rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stating it has only acted to secure its own territory.

Fred Bauma, a Congolese human-rights activist, told The Athletic he stopped supporting Arsenal due to the deal. "At the beginning... it was a different time," he said. "However… I found it unacceptable that Arsenal could continue to maintain that relationship. I am glad they ended it, but it’s a bit late."

Noble Marara, a former personal protection officer for Kagame now living in the UK, questioned the clubs' due diligence.

"I don’t think the clubs are doing anything wrong by being sponsored," he explained. "But before signing the contract, the clubs should do their research to see if the money they are going to receive is coming from blood."

Jonathan Musonera, a former Rwandan army captain also residing in the UK, was more direct in his criticism. "I blame the clubs for taking the money," he told The Athletic. "The clubs should never have accepted the money."

Arsenal's partnership with 'Visit Rwanda' has concluded, bringing an end to a deal that, while boosting Rwandan tourism, drew significant criticism over allegations of "sportswashing" and the country's alleged role in the conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The club recently highlighted the partnership's successes, noting a 52 per cent increase in Rwanda's tourism revenue between 2018 and 2024. A statement expressed Arsenal's ambition "to maintain the long-term momentum built over the past seven years in support of local communities, particularly young people."

The sponsorship faced intense scrutiny, particularly from the DRC. In February, the DRC's foreign minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, sought a meeting with Arsenal officials to discuss the deal.

During a visit to London, she also wrote to Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, who have similar partnerships, urging them to terminate their "blood-stained sponsorship deals with this oppressor nation."

In a letter reported by the BBC, Wagner stated, "Countless lives have been lost; rape, murder and theft prevail. Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery."

Critics have long accused the Rwandan government of using high-profile sports deals to launder its international reputation. The government has consistently denied allegations that it funds the M23 rebel group, which is accused of committing atrocities in the eastern DRC.

Samuel Baker Byansi, a Rwandan investigative journalist, commented on the development. "Arsenal’s decision, following Bayern Munich’s earlier withdrawal, demonstrates that even prestigious institutions eventually face consequences for complicity in sportswashing," he said.

Byansi argued that the branding campaign had a sinister side. "When fans buy jerseys or watch matches featuring ‘Visit Rwanda’ branding, they are inadvertently participating in a propaganda campaign designed to make people forget that the same government funding their club is simultaneously funding a rebel group that massacres civilians, uses child soldiers, rapes women and has displaced millions."

For Wagner, the lasting image of the deal is one of Arsenal players wearing the logo while "the people of eastern DRC endured one of the world’s bloodiest conflicts."

However, Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwandan Development Board (RDB), offers a different perspective from his Kigali office, where a framed Arsenal shirt hangs on the wall. He explained that the partnership was part of a long-term strategy to transform the country's global image and boost its economy.

"In 2006, none of what you’re seeing here existed; the convention centre, the hotels and everything," Afrika said, referencing Kigali's modern skyline. By 2017, the government felt it was time to "bridge that gap in the world’s perception."

Rwandan officials have firmly denied that their country's high-profile sponsorships of Western sports teams, such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, are an exercise in "sportswashing." This defence comes as President Paul Kagame has also refuted allegations of Rwanda's support for the M23 rebel group.

Clare Akamanzi, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and her deputy, Nelly Mukazayire, have dismissed the accusations.

"If you really want to mix politics and sport, then you confuse everything," Mukazayire stated. "But if you leave the politics to where it has to be handled, and we look at sport, the sport world makes sense."

Francis Gatare, who succeeded Akamanzi as RDB CEO, told The Athletic that the decision was a strategic one and not due to any disagreements with Arsenal. He also downplayed the impact of fan protests on the non-renewal.

"Naturally, they would form part of conversations, but we were always aligned in terms of the messages, and they (Arsenal) understood our position on the issues," Gatare explained.

However, on November 27, President Kagame offered a different perspective. When asked about the end of the Arsenal deal, he alluded to a disagreement during negotiations.

"It reached a point where they said, ‘OK, instead of disagreeing too much, you may find another partner that will satisfy you if you don’t want to listen to our demands’," Kagame said. "This is really what happened."

Arsenal declined to comment on the matter, while Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid did not respond to requests for comment.