Arsenal have announced the end of their eight-year partnership with Visit Rwanda.
The club say they have mutually agreed to conclude the relationship with the Rwanda Development Board at the end of the season.
The agreement, which saw Visit Rwanda become Arsenal’s first official sleeve partner, drew criticism from areas of the club’s fanbase. In April a group of supporters launched a campaign against the deal and called for it to be scrapped ahead of the current season.
As part of the campaign, the group revealed a satirical ‘Visit Tottenham’ billboard outside the Emirates Stadium ahead of a home game with Crystal Palace.
In February, the government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had called on Arsenal to end the sponsorship after Rwandan-backed rebels seized the city of Goma in DRC.
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In April, a group of Arsenal supporters launched a campaign against the club’s sponsorship deal with Rwanda, calling for it to be scrapped ahead of next season, and revealed a satirical ‘Visit Tottenham’ billboard outside the Emirates Stadium
On Wednesday Arsenal’s LGBTQ+ group, Gay Gooners, welcomed the decision not to renew the sponsorship.
“As a group, we have been uncomfortable with the deal from the start and made signification representations to Arsenal through official channels since 2021.
“In a survey of our 2,500+ worldwide membership in July, only 2 per cent of respondents thought the £10m/year Visit Rwanda sponsorship should be renewed. 86 per cent wanted the contract to end and a replacement found.
“Some members highlighted Rwanda’s record on LGBT+ human rights.”
In February of this year, Arsenal were one of three major football clubs in Europe urged to drop their sponsorship deals with Visit Rwanda by the government of neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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In February, the Democratic Republic of Congo urged Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain to end their Visit Rwanda sponsorship deals
In a statement on Wednesday, Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick thanked the Rwanda Development Board for their partnership and noted the achievements the club and the board made together.
“Our first-ever sleeve partnership with Visit Rwanda has been a significant journey,” said Garlick’s statement. “Over many years, we’ve worked together to raise global awareness of Rwanda’s tourism and conservation efforts and built many new connections with our supporters across Africa.
“The commitment and support of Visit Rwanda throughout our partnership has played an important role in driving forward our ambitions – helping us invest in our long-term vision to win major trophies, in a financially sustainable way. We thank the Rwanda Development Board for their partnership and what we’ve delivered together.”
