Amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis in DR Congo, the nation's foreign minister has written to the owners of Arsenal and PSG, as well as to Bayern Munich president, urging them to end their sponsorship agreements with Visit Rwanda. The appeals cite concerns over the ethical implications of these partnerships, alleging that Visit Rwanda's promotional activities could be financed by the illicit mining of conflict minerals in occupied DR Congo territories.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has issued a plea to prominent football clubs Arsenal , Bayern Munich , and Paris St-Germain to terminate their sponsorship agreements with Visit Rwanda . This urgent call comes amidst a deepening humanitarian crisis in the country as M23 rebels seized control of Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo. The United Nations' refugee agency estimates that over 400,000 individuals have been displaced from their homes this year alone.
DR Congo's Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner has sent letters to the owners of Arsenal and PSG, as well as to Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer, expressing concerns about the ethical implications of these partnerships. She argues that Visit Rwanda's promotional activities could be financed by the illicit mining of conflict minerals in the occupied territories of DR Congo, which are then smuggled across the border and exported from Rwanda. In her letter to Arsenal, Kayikwamba Wagner explicitly states that Rwanda's role in the ongoing conflict is undeniable, citing a UN report that indicates the presence of 4,000 Rwandan troops within the DRC. She urges Arsenal to sever ties with Rwanda, emphasizing the moral responsibility of the club to both its conscience and the victims of Rwandan aggression.The Visit Rwanda campaign has significantly boosted the profile of the East African nation, but Rwanda's government has faced accusations of leveraging sports to enhance its global image. Critics label this strategy as 'sportswashing,' where a nation seeks to deflect attention from its human rights record through investments in sports. Arsenal's sleeve partnership with Visit Rwanda commenced in 2018, with the latest sponsorship deal reportedly valued at over £10 million ($12.39 million) annually. PSG followed suit with a sponsorship agreement the following year, while Bayern Munich entered a five-year football development and tourism promotion partnership with Rwanda in 2023. Lewis Mudge, the Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, a global human rights organization, asserts that these sponsorships and events serve to obscure Rwanda's 'abysmal track record' on human rights. He points to concerns regarding due process violations within Rwanda, which he argues contravene both internal laws and international standards. Mudge further highlights a shrinking space for freedom of expression and political autonomy within Rwanda.The Rwandan government has vehemently rejected accusations of sportswashing, with its chief tourism officer, Irene Murerwa, characterizing them as a distraction from Rwanda's remarkable achievements. The ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo, which dates back to the 1990s, has intensified dramatically in recent weeks. M23 rebels, composed largely of ethnic Tutsis, claim they are fighting for minority rights, while the DR Congo government contends that these Rwanda-backed rebels seek to control the region's substantial mineral wealth.
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