The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has written to football giants Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), urging them to terminate their sponsorship deals with the Rwandan government, which funds the “Visit Rwanda” campaign featured on their jerseys.

According to the DRC government, the money used for these deals comes from the bloodshed of innocent civilians.

This request comes amid ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, where the M23 rebel group allegedly backed by Rwanda—has seized control of Goma, a major city in the region.

As reported by the BBC, DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, sent letters to the clubs’ owners questioning Rwanda’s motives behind its partnership with them. She raised concerns that funds from the “Visit Rwanda” campaign could originate from conflict minerals illegally mined in DRC by M23 rebels and smuggled into Rwanda.

“It is highly suspicious that Rwanda is backing M23 while UN officials report that over 4,000 Rwandan troops are present in DRC,” the letter stated.

Rwanda’s deal with Arsenal, signed in 2018, is worth $12.39 billion (about K22 billion). The country also entered sponsorship agreements with PSG in 2019 and Bayern Munich in 2023 to promote tourism and football development.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 700 people have been killed, 2,800 injured, and 400,000 displaced due to the ongoing conflict.

Timveni Online