'Stop The Blood-Stained VISIT RWANDA Sponsorship!' - DR Congo Tells Football Clubs

‘Stop The Blood-Stained VISIT RWANDA Sponsorship!’ – DR Congo Tells Football Clubs

Following the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner has requested soccer clubs Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain to discontinue their “blood-stained” sponsorship arrangements with “Visit Rwanda”.

The DR Congo health ministry claimed on Saturday that around 800 bodies were in hospital morgues surrounding Goma following the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels’ drive to conquer east Congo’s major city, which is home to lucrative gold, coltan, and tin mines.

The recent escalation has exacerbated a long-standing humanitarian crisis, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to seek refuge in Goma after escaping violence between M23 and Congolese forces.

According to the United Nations, the battle has resulted in human rights violations such as summary executions, bombings of refugee camps, reports of gang rape, and other forms of sexual assault.

Wagner wrote to the three clubs last week, questioning the morality of their sponsorship relationships, citing a United Nations assessment claiming that 4,000 Rwandan troops were involved in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

F.M. ON DRC CRISIS: 'RWANDAN EXCEPTION TO INT'L LAW'

Is there a 'Rwandan exception' to international law? According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) foreign minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, there seems to be one at the UN Security Council.

Her remarks came… pic.twitter.com/RIjgzreyN7
— African Stream (@african_stream) February 2, 2025

“Thousands are currently trapped in the city of Goma with restricted access to food, water, and security,” Wagner said in her letters to the clubs, according to a media statement from her ministry on Sunday.

“Countless lives have been lost; rape, murder and theft prevail. Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery. If not for your own consciences, then the clubs should do it (end their sponsorship agreement) for the victims of Rwandan aggression.”

Rwanda claims it is protecting itself, accusing the Congolese military of collaborating with ethnic Hutu-led militias intent on slaying Tutsis in Congo and threatening Rwanda, where Hutus attacked Tutsis in a 1994 genocide and some later fled to Congo.

Congo disputes this and accuses Rwanda of using M23 to loot precious minerals on Congolese territory.

“Visit Rwanda” began sponsoring Arsenal in 2018, with the most recent arrangement believed to be valued more than 10 million pounds ($12.39 million) annually.

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Bayern Munich inked a five-year football development and tourism marketing collaboration with Rwanda in 2023, while “Visit Rwanda” has sponsored PSG since 2019.

Reuters has contacted all three clubs and “Visit Rwanda” for comment.

British foreign minister David Lammy told parliament on Tuesday that Rwanda receives more than $1 billion in global aid each year.

This includes approximately 32 million pounds of bilateral UK support, but “all of that is under threat when you attack your neighbours.”

‘Stop The Blood-Stained VISIT RWANDA Sponsorship!’ – DR Congo Tells Football Clubs