Arsenal Football Club has declared that its much-debated sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda will expire in the coming June.
The arrangement, estimated to cost around £10 million annually, began in 2018 and has since faced significant scrutiny.
The backlash stems from the country's reported backing for the M23 militia in ongoing conflicts in the eastern region of the bordering Congo.
In February, Arsenal was accused of committing a disrespectful act to the Congolese government by declining to meet with the DRC's foreign minister to talk about the deal.
Visit Rwanda operates as a branch of the Rwanda's development authority, which is a public entity.
There is broad consensus that Arsenal committed to and maintained this partnership chiefly to increase their African supporter base.
Nevertheless, the deal has now ended after both parties “mutually agreed” to part ways.
“Collaboratively, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have outperformed the initial objectives of the partnership – advocating preservation and sustainable tourism, inspiring millions of supporters to discover the country, and creating a lasting foundation for travel industry expansion,” read an official Arsenal statement.
The announcement added that the partnership has also aided Rwanda's objective to emerge as an worldwide athletic destination in Africa and host more global sporting events while delivering local football projects that have helped hundreds of young players and coaches develop their skills and promote increased engagement in sport across the country.
Richard Garlick, Arsenal's top executive, described the partnership as a “major expedition” and asserted it had been “advancing” the club's aspirations.
But that is not how a segment of the club's followers, with the activist organization Gunners Supporting Peace demonstrating outside the Emirates Stadium during the first semi-final encounter in Europe's premier competition against Paris Saint-Germain in April's conclusion.
Activists unveiled a banner that read “Drop Visit Rwanda” and provided wristbands to hide the Rwanda branding on uniforms.
During that period, PSG extended their sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda until 2028.
At the same time, the Spanish club signed a fresh deal for the equivalent timeframe that has caused the logo being carried on the Madrid-based team's male and female kits.
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