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The North London club has officially announced that its contentious sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda will expire in June of next year.

Context and Criticism

The partnership, said to be worth around £10m per year, began in 2018 and has since faced significant scrutiny.

This criticism stems from Rwanda's alleged support for the M23 militia in persistent fighting in the eastern region of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Earlier this year, Arsenal was accused of issuing a severe rebuff to the Congolese government by failing to convene with Congolese diplomat Thérèse Wagner to talk about the deal.

Partnership Structure and Objectives

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

It is widely believed that Arsenal committed to and upheld this partnership chiefly to increase their African supporter base.

Nevertheless, the deal has now ended after both parties “mutually agreed” to end their collaboration.

“Together, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have outperformed the original goals of the partnership – supporting environmental protection and eco-friendly travel, inspiring millions of supporters to discover the country, and establishing a durable base for travel industry expansion,” stated an Gunners' release.

The statement continued that the partnership has also supported Rwanda's goal of becoming an global sports center in Africa and stage additional international competitions while delivering grassroots football initiatives that have assisted numerous youth athletes and coaches enhance their abilities and promote increased engagement in sports throughout the nation.

Management Opinion and Fan Backlash

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's chief executive officer, described the partnership as a “major expedition” and asserted it had been “advancing” the club's goals.

But that is not how a section of Arsenal's fanbase, with the protest movement Gunners Supporting Peace holding rallies outside the Emirates Stadium during the initial Champions League semi-final match against Paris Saint-Germain in the end of April.

Protesters displayed a banner that read “Terminate the Visit Rwanda Partnership” and provided wristbands to conceal the Rwanda branding on uniforms.

Broader Context and Other Clubs

In the same month, the French champions continued their sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda for several more years.

Simultaneously, Atlético Madrid inked a recent contract for the identical duration that has caused the logo being carried on the Spanish club's first-team and women's team jerseys.