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Arsenal have announced that they will end their eight-year sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season.
The sleeve partnership, which began in 2018, is reportedly worth more than $13.3 million per year.
According to BBC, the deal has faced intense scrutiny amid rising violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which shares a border with Rwanda.
The development comes despite the signing of a framework peace agreement earlier this week between Rwandan-backed M23 rebels and the Congolese government.
In April, Paris Saint-Germain extended their Visit Rwanda sponsorship until 2028, while Atletico Madrid signed a three-year deal to feature the branding on their men’s and women’s kits this season.
Arsenal said the club and the Rwanda Development Board “had exceeded the original goals of the partnership,” which included promoting conservation, sustainable tourism, and Rwanda’s ambition to become an international sporting hub in Africa.
Arsenal Chief Executive Officer, Richard Garlick, said the partnership had helped the club “invest in our long-term vision to win major trophies, in a financially sustainable way.”
In February, the DRC government appealed to Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich—also sponsored by Visit Rwanda—to end what it described as “blood-stained” partnerships amid the worsening humanitarian crisis.
A campaign group called Gunners for Peace protested outside the Emirates Stadium during last season’s Champions League semi-final against PSG, displaying a banner reading “Drop Visit Rwanda” and handing out armbands designed to cover the Visit Rwanda logo on replica kits.
The group also released a spoof video encouraging fans to “Visit Tottenham,” Arsenal’s north London rivals, as a way of urging the club to choose a sponsor “that better fits the values of the club.”
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