Boluwatife Kehinde
Premier League leaders Arsenal have officially announced their decision to terminate their partnership with the Rwanda Development Board, effective at the conclusion of the current season.
This announcement was made on Wednesday and marks the end of an eight-season collaboration under the “Visit Rwanda” initiative.
The partnership, which began seven years ago, has faced increasing scrutiny and criticism, particularly due to the escalating violence in the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which shares a border with Rwanda.
Despite the end of this partnership, Rwanda still maintains sponsorship deals with several prominent European football clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid.
The DRC to government has accused Rwanda of providing arms and support to the M23 militia, a group that has gained control over significant portions of DRC territory since it resumed armed conflict in 2021.
This ongoing conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties and sparked a severe humanitarian crisis affecting many displaced families and individuals within the region.
In recent months, efforts have been made toward peace, as the DRC and the M23 militia entered into a ceasefire agreement along with a broader peace framework. However, the situation on the ground remains tense.
In light of these developments, Arsenal fans expressed their discontent with the partnership earlier this year, staging protests in April. The partnership involved the Rwanda logo being prominently displayed on the sleeves of the players’ jerseys, a move that many fans felt contradicted the club’s values.
In the statement released by the Rwanda Development Board, they noted, “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.”
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