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Arsenal Football Club has officially announced that its contentious sponsorship partnership with Visit Rwanda will terminate in the coming June.

Context and Criticism

This deal, estimated to cost around £10m per year, began in 2018 and has since faced significant scrutiny.

The backlash is due to Rwanda's alleged support for the M23 rebel group in ongoing conflicts in the eastern part of the bordering Congo.

In February, Arsenal faced allegations of issuing a severe rebuff to the Congolese government by declining to meet with Congolese diplomat Thérèse Wagner to discuss the partnership.

Partnership Structure and Objectives

Visit Rwanda serves as an arm of the Rwanda's development authority, which is a government department.

It is widely believed that Arsenal signed and continued this partnership mainly to grow their fanbase in Africa.

However, the partnership has now terminated after both parties “jointly decided” to end their collaboration.

“Jointly, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have surpassed the primary aims of the partnership – promoting conservation and eco-friendly travel, inspiring millions of supporters to explore Rwanda, and creating a lasting foundation for travel industry expansion,” declared an official Arsenal statement.

The release further noted that the partnership has also supported Rwanda's objective to emerge as an global sports center in Africa and stage additional international competitions while executing grassroots football initiatives that have helped hundreds of young players and coaches improve their techniques and encourage more involvement in sports throughout the nation.

Management Opinion and Fan Backlash

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's top executive, portrayed the arrangement as a “important voyage” and claimed it had been “advancing” the club's ambitions.

Yet this view was contested by a portion of the Gunners' supporters, with the campaign group Gunners for Peace demonstrating outside the North London venue during the first semi-final encounter in Europe's premier competition against PSG in the end of April.

Activists unveiled a banner that read “Terminate the Visit Rwanda Partnership” and distributed armbands to hide the Rwanda branding on uniforms.

Broader Context and Other Clubs

Around that time, Paris Saint-Germain continued their sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda through 2028.

Simultaneously, the Spanish club inked a recent contract for the identical duration that has caused the branding featured on the La Liga side's men's and women's shirts.