The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is calling on English Premier League football club Arsenal, as well as others like Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Bayern Munich, to ditch their “Visit Rwanda” deal in light of the escalating conflict between the African countries.
The Congolese government and the M23 rebels (a terrorist group made up of ethnic Tutsis) backed by Rwanda have been engaged in a bloody warfare and battle over territory, which has intensified in recent weeks,
According to BBC, over 700 people have died this week during the violence. This includes 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) peacekeeping officials.
ARSENAL URGED TO DITCH ‘VISIT RWANDA’ DEAL
Over the weekend, DRC Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner called on clubs like Arsenal, PSG, and Bayern Munich to ditch their paid partnerships with Rwanda in light of the violent conflicts in the country.
In 2018, Arsenal agreed to display the words “Visit Rwanda” on their kit sleeves as part of a three-year deal with the African country. This was extended in 2021 for an additional four years. In exchange, the government has forked out UK£40 million (almost R1 billion) to bring exposure to their tourism sector.
Rwanda managed to broker similar deals with French club PSG and Germany’s Bayern Munich.
Wagner said in a statement: “It is time Arsenal ended its blood-stained sponsorship deals with this oppressor nation. If not for your own consciences, then the clubs should do it for the victims of Rwandan aggression”.
She added: “Countless lives have been lost; rape, murder, and theft prevail. Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery.
“If not for your own consciences, then the clubs should do it (end their sponsorship agreement) for the victims of Rwandan aggression.”
REMEMBER THAT TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS PROPOSAL?
Like Rwanda, the South African government – and their marketing body SA Tourism – proposed a sponsorship deal with Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur.
Daily Maverick reported that close to R1 billion would be allocated to support the elite club over three years. In return, the local tourism sector would receive “media exposure.”
The proposal claimed that SA Tourism would receive kit branding, interview backdrop branding, match-day advertising, partnership announcements, training camps in South Africa, and free access to tickets and stadium hospitality in exchange for the investment.
The controversial deal was later scrapped after public backlash. At the time, the Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille – who succeeded Lindiwe Sisulu in a cabinet reshuffle – labelled the deal ‘invalid and unlawful.’
SHOULD ARSENAL DITCH IT’S ‘BLOOD-STAINED’ DEAL WITH RWANDA?
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