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The North London club has declared that its much-debated sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda will come to an end in June of next year.

Context and Criticism

The arrangement, said to be worth around £10m per year, began in 2018 and has since come under fire.

The backlash is due to accusations of Rwandan assistance for the M23 rebel group in persistent fighting in the eastern region of the bordering Congo.

In February, Arsenal was criticized for delivering an "outrageous" snub to the government of the DRC by failing to convene with Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner to talk about the deal.

Deal Composition and Aims

Visit Rwanda functions as an arm of the the country's development agency, which is a public entity.

Many speculate that Arsenal signed and continued this partnership mainly to grow their African supporter base.

However, the partnership has now terminated after both parties “jointly decided” to end their collaboration.

“Jointly, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have surpassed the primary aims of the partnership – advocating preservation and responsible tourism, inspiring millions of supporters to explore Rwanda, and building a solid groundwork for tourism growth,” read an Gunners' release.

The announcement added that the partnership has also aided Rwanda's objective to emerge as an worldwide athletic destination in Africa and welcome more worldwide tournaments while implementing local football projects that have helped hundreds of young players and coaches develop their skills and inspire greater participation in athletics nationwide.

Management Opinion and Fan Backlash

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's chief executive officer, portrayed the arrangement as a “major expedition” and asserted it had been “driving forward” the club's goals.

But that is not how a portion of the Gunners' supporters, with the protest movement Gunners Supporting Peace holding rallies outside the North London venue during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against the French club in the end of April.

Activists unveiled a sign stating “Terminate the Visit Rwanda Partnership” and handed out sleeves to hide the partnership emblem on jerseys.

Broader Context and Other Clubs

Around that time, the French champions extended their sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda for several more years.

Meanwhile, the Spanish club inked a recent contract for the equivalent timeframe that has caused the logo being carried on the La Liga side's male and female kits.