Premier League leaders Arsenal will end their long-running commercial partnership with Rwanda at the end of the current season, the country’s development board has confirmed.
The “Visit Rwanda” deal, in place for eight seasons, had drawn mounting criticism amid growing international concern over Rwanda’s alleged role in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement on Wednesday, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said the parties had “mutually agreed to conclude their partnership at the end of this season, bringing to a close an eight-season collaboration that included Visit Rwanda as Arsenal’s first Official Sleeve Partner.”
Under the agreement, the Visit Rwanda logo appeared on Arsenal’s shirt sleeves and around the Emirates Stadium as part of a tourism and investment promotion campaign backed personally by President Paul Kagame, a well-known Arsenal supporter.
However, the sponsorship increasingly came under scrutiny as Rwanda faced accusations from the DRC and UN experts of backing the M23 rebel group, which since 2021 has seized large areas of territory in mineral-rich North Kivu. The fighting has killed thousands and triggered a deepening humanitarian crisis, even as Kinshasa, Kigali and M23 have in recent months signed a ceasefire deal and broader peace framework.
In April, a section of Arsenal supporters staged protests against the partnership, urging the club to cut ties over Rwanda’s alleged involvement in the conflict. Critics argued that the club’s association with the “Visit Rwanda” brand risked sportswashing serious human rights and security concerns in the region.
Neither Arsenal nor the RDB publicly linked the decision to end the deal to the situation in eastern DRC, framing it instead as the conclusion of a successful commercial cycle. Financial details of the final phase of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Rwanda, meanwhile, is not stepping away from football sponsorship. The country continues to maintain high-profile tourism and branding partnerships with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid, as it seeks to position itself as a regional business hub and global tourism destination.
For Arsenal, the end of the sleeve deal opens space for a new commercial partner from next season, while the club continues to face growing scrutiny from fans and advocates over the ethical implications of its sponsorship portfolio.
