(foto: Getty Images)
Sponsorship deals signed by three European football giants with Rwanda have become increasingly controversial. Despite the worsening political situation in the African nation, growing calls are being made to terminate them.
"Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills, offering breathtaking landscapes and warm, friendly people, making it one of the most extraordinary destinations in the world. It boasts incredible biodiversity, from volcanic regions and mountain rainforests to vast savannahs home to fascinating wildlife."
This is how the official Visit Rwanda website presents the country, promoting tourism and investment opportunities in the Central African nation. However, behind the polished image, the Rwandan government's partnerships with major European football clubs have sparked serious concerns—especially now, as the country’s political climate deteriorates further.
Since 2018, the Rwandan government has been a sponsor of Arsenal, one of the world’s wealthiest football clubs. A year later, Paris Saint-Germain signed a similar deal, and in 2023, Bayern Munich joined the list, agreeing to a five-year contract with the Rwandan authorities. PSG even opened an academy in the southern Rwandan city of Huye in 2020.
It is not unusual for football to attract investments from autocratic Gulf states, American, Russian, and Chinese billionaires. However, what makes Rwanda’s involvement stand out is that one of the world’s poorest and most repressive regimes is using sports to whitewash its image—a practice known as sportswashing.
Rwanda currently pays Arsenal £10 million per year for the "Visit Rwanda" logo to appear on their jerseys' sleeves, despite 48.8% of the population (about 6.5 million people) living in extreme poverty.
A Country Marked by Tragedy and Dictatorship
Rwanda gained international attention in 1994 due to its devastating civil war between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups, which culminated in a horrific genocide. Hutu extremists massacred around one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The war's victor, Tutsi military commander Paul Kagame, has ruled Rwanda since 2000.
According to Human Rights Watch, the current situation in the country is dire:
"Arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and torture in both official and unofficial detention centers are common, and fair trial standards are routinely violated in politically sensitive cases. Allegations related to national security are frequently used as a pretext to persecute critics of the government."
Michela Wrong, a British investigative journalist who has written extensively on Rwanda, described it as "one of Africa’s most repressive states" in a 2021 Guardian interview:
"The country is plagued by extreme poverty. Every election in Rwanda is rigged—everyone knows this. Worse still, there is a relentless effort to hunt down and silence government critics living abroad."
Despite widespread criticism, Arsenal extended its partnership with Rwanda in 2021, citing an 8% increase in tourism revenue as justification. In May 2023, PSG renewed its agreement, and just three months later, Bayern Munich joined the list.
Bayern framed its five-year partnership as a way to help develop football in Rwanda, but the club’s official statement was widely criticized for parroting the Rwandan government’s propaganda:
"Over the past two decades, Rwanda has achieved political and social stability, supported by strong economic growth. The country is known for high-quality governance, a commitment to sustainability, and the significant role women play in society."
For a prestigious club like Bayern, which has no shortage of sponsors, to promote such misleading narratives was shocking to many observers. The German club could have easily refused Rwanda’s money—yet it didn’t.
Rwanda’s Role in the Congo Conflict
In January 2024, the seemingly comfortable relationship between Arsenal, PSG, Bayern, and the Rwandan government faced a major setback. The armed conflict in eastern Congo escalated dramatically.
In North Kivu, a province bordering Rwanda, the M23 rebel group launched an offensive, capturing the key city of Goma. The M23 is led by Congolese Tutsis and backed by Kagame's regime. The United Nations confirmed that at least 4,000 Rwandan troops participated in the attack on Goma, echoing similar events from 2012, when the same group seized the city and committed numerous war crimes.
At the time, the Congolese army, with UN support, pushed them out, but in 2022, they returned, igniting renewed instability. With Goma now under their control again, tensions in the region have reached a breaking point.
In response, Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner issued a direct appeal to Arsenal, PSG, and Bayern:
"Countless lives have been lost. Rape, murder, and looting are widespread. Your sponsor is directly responsible for this aggression. If not for your conscience, then do it for the victims of Rwanda’s actions—end these sponsorship deals."
According to UN reports, more than 700 people were killed and around 2,800 injured in the attack on Goma. Despite these revelations, none of the clubs have responded to the Congolese minister’s appeal.
How Rwanda Uses Football to Clean Its Image
"These sponsorships have successfully cleaned up Rwanda’s global image," Michela Wrong told DW News.
"A very poor country has decided to spend its money supporting these clubs. Rwanda has signed deals to host the Cycling World Championships, hopes to bring a Formula 1 race to the country, and is crafting an image of a modern, progressive, clean, and safe African nation. At the same time, it is deeply involved in conflicts in neighboring Congo, causing chaos and responsible for thousands of deaths."
The Bigger Picture: Global Politics and Football’s Role
Why would wealthy Western European clubs partner with a brutal autocracy in a small, impoverished African country? The answer lies in global geopolitics.
Eastern Congo is rich in minerals and resources essential to high-tech industries. As a result, global superpowers like the US and China have a vested interest in the region.
- China backs the Congolese government, opposing Rwanda.
- The US supports Kagame's regime.
In this geopolitical chess game, Western European clubs have aligned with a regime backed by the West.
And that, unfortunately, should come as no surprise.
This is the world we live in.