Arsenal supporters have launched an ambitious £10 million crowdfunder campaign aimed at convincing the club to end its sleeve sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda.
Organisers say the club should not be accepting money from a regime accused by the United Nations, G7 and UK government of fuelling a violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the UNHCR, more than seven million people have been displaced by fighting involving Rwandan-backed militia.
The ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo has featured on Arsenal sleeves since 2018, with the current deal due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.
“Arsenal fans everywhere have had enough of the club that we love helping Rwanda to sportswash its reputation,” said co-organiser Chris Reed.
Reed and his fellow organisers believe Arsenal should not have to choose between revenue and ethics. They aim to raise the full value of the sponsorship to show the club it can afford to walk away from the controversial deal.
If Arsenal agree to terminate the Rwanda agreement before the target is reached, 80% of the funds raised will be donated to UNHCR, with the remaining 20% going to The Arsenal Foundation.
“Every single donation we receive sends a strong signal to Arsenal to do the right thing. Even if you can’t donate, please share the campaign with people who can.”
@RealNorthBanksy, the street artist well known among Arsenal fans, also condemned the sponsorship on Instagram: “The red on our shirts should signify the life blood and the honour of North London – not the blood and lost lives of innocent Congolese people. Our beautiful football club shouldn’t be used as a means to (sports) wash away the war crimes of Paul Kagame and his henchmen – I don’t care if he is a Gooner too.”
Political pressure on Arsenal has been mounting for months. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has written to the club urging them to end the agreement and claims her request for a meeting was ignored.
“We offered to meet Arsenal, but they didn’t reach out or take us up on the offer. We have not received an answer. Apparently they are not interested in meeting us.”
She had previously written to the club: “I write to question the morality of your club, your players and your supporters as to why you are continuing your financial relationship with ‘Visit Rwanda’. The President of that country Paul Kagame is an autocrat and his army, along with its proxy militia the M23, are waging war inside the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Despite widespread international criticism of the Kagame regime, Arsenal has so far declined to publicly comment on the controversy. While Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, both of whom also partner with Rwanda, are reportedly reviewing their agreements, Arsenal’s silence has not gone unnoticed.
The club’s commercial resurgence in recent years, fuelled by their return to the Champions League and growing global fanbase, makes them an increasingly attractive proposition to potential sponsors. With the chance to secure more lucrative and ethically sound deals elsewhere, many believe there is no justification for sticking with a partner accused of grave human rights abuses.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that Arsenal were exploring alternatives to the Visit Rwanda deal, which could fetch up to double the current £10 million-per-year arrangement.
With the club now Champions League regulars again and pushing for the Premier League title, Arsenal no longer need to rely on politically controversial income, if they ever did in the first place.
You can donate to the crowdfunder here.