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Arsenal Football Club has officially announced that its contentious sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda will terminate in June of next year.

Background and Scrutiny

The partnership, reportedly valued at around ten million pounds each year, began in 2018 and has since faced significant scrutiny.

Such scrutiny is due to accusations of Rwandan assistance for the M23 rebel group in continuing hostilities in the eastern areas of the adjacent DRC.

In February, Arsenal faced allegations of committing a disrespectful act to the authorities in Congo by declining to meet with Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner to talk about the deal.

Deal Composition and Aims

Visit Rwanda operates as a branch of the Rwanda Development Board, which is a government department.

It is widely believed that Arsenal signed and continued this partnership mainly to grow their African supporter base.

Nevertheless, the partnership has now terminated after both parties “collectively determined” to part ways.

“Collaboratively, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have exceeded the primary aims of the partnership – promoting conservation and sustainable tourism, inspiring millions of supporters to explore Rwanda, and building a solid groundwork for visitor increase,” stated an Gunners' release.

The statement continued that the partnership has also supported Rwanda's ambition to become an global sports center in Africa and welcome more worldwide tournaments while implementing grassroots football initiatives that have supported many aspiring footballers and coaches develop their skills and promote increased engagement in sports throughout the nation.

Management Opinion and Fan Backlash

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's top executive, characterized the deal as a “important voyage” and asserted it had been “driving forward” the club's aspirations.

But that is not how a segment of the club's followers, with the protest movement Gunners for Peace staging protests outside the North London venue during the initial Champions League semi-final match against the French club in April's conclusion.

Demonstrators showed a sign stating “Drop Visit Rwanda” and provided wristbands to cover up the Visit Rwanda logo on kits.

Broader Context and Other Clubs

Around that time, the French champions extended their sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda for several more years.

Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid inked a recent contract for the same period that has led to the logo being carried on the La Liga side's male and female kits.