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The North London club has confirmed that its much-debated sponsorship partnership with Visit Rwanda will come to an end in June this upcoming year.

Context and Criticism

The partnership, said to be worth around ten million pounds each year, was first established and has since been heavily criticized.

This criticism stems from Rwanda's alleged support for the M23 forces in persistent fighting in the eastern part of the adjacent DRC.

Months ago, Arsenal was accused of delivering an "outrageous" snub to the authorities in Congo by declining to meet with Congolese diplomat Thérèse Wagner to address the sponsorship.

Deal Composition and Aims

Visit Rwanda operates as an arm of the Rwanda Development Board, which is a public entity.

There is broad consensus that Arsenal committed to and continued this partnership chiefly to increase their African supporter base.

However, the deal has now ended after both parties “mutually agreed” to part ways.

“Collaboratively, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have outperformed the primary aims of the partnership – supporting environmental protection and sustainable tourism, inspiring millions of supporters to explore Rwanda, and establishing a durable base for tourism growth,” stated an official Arsenal statement.

The release further noted that the partnership has also supported Rwanda's goal of becoming an worldwide athletic destination in Africa and welcome more worldwide tournaments while implementing local football projects that have assisted numerous youth athletes and coaches develop their skills and encourage more involvement in sport across the country.

Management Opinion and Fan Backlash

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's chief executive officer, described the partnership as a “important voyage” and asserted it had been “propelling” the club's ambitions.

But that is not how a section of Arsenal's fanbase, with the protest movement Gunners Supporting Peace demonstrating outside the Emirates Stadium during the first semi-final encounter in Europe's premier competition against PSG in April's conclusion.

Activists unveiled a placard declaring “Terminate the Visit Rwanda Partnership” and handed out sleeves to cover up the partnership emblem on kits.

Wider Landscape and Additional Teams

During that period, Paris Saint-Germain renewed their partnership deal with Visit Rwanda for several more years.

Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid inked a recent contract for the same period that has resulted in the logo being carried on the La Liga side's male and female kits.