Latest news with #GunnersforPeace
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Visit Rwanda signs new deal as Arsenal protests continue
While Arsenal fans continue protesting about the club's sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, the African country's tourism board has signed a deal with another top European football giants Atletico Madrid have agreed a three-year contract with Visit Rwanda, and their men's and women's teams will carry its logo on their shirts next long-standing partnerships with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain have come under the spotlight after increased violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities say 7,000 people have been killed since Congolese government accuses Rwanda of arming M23 rebels and sending troops to support the militants. Despite assertions from both the United Nations and United States, Rwanda has denied supporting the M23.A section of Arsenal's support has formed a group named Gunners for Peace and are calling on the Premier League club not to renew its deal with Visit Rwanda as the partnership does not fit the club's "values and standards".They believe the sleeve sponsorship, which is reportedly worth more than £10m ($13.3m) per year, runs out at the end of this group has distributed armbands to cover up the Visit Rwanda logo on kits, and held a protest outside the Emirates Stadium ahead of Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.A small number of fans of the French club donned the armbands and joined followers of the north London outfit in standing behind a banner reading 'Drop Visit Rwanda'. "I stand with human rights and am not with this kind of sponsor," PSG fan Chakib told BBC Sport Africa."We are rivals in football but we are brothers to defend human rights."Arsenal said the club will not be commenting on the Gunners for Peace campaign, while a Rwanda government spokesperson has defended their sports partnerships and said they helped boost the country's recently renewed its partnership with Visit Rwanda until 2028, while Bayern's deal expires the same of both sides have held up banners criticising the partnerships during games this season. Rwanda's values 'align' with Atletico's The deals with top European clubs tie into Rwanda's ambition to position itself as a premier global hub for investment, tourism and sports Rwanda's government has been accused of investing in sport to enhance its image amid accusations of human rights violations in the country - a strategy labelled by critics as 'sportswashing'.Alongside the Visit Rwanda partnerships, Kigali is set to be the venue for cycling's World Road Championships in September but hopes of the country hosting a Formula 1 race appear to have Rwandan government said its sports partnerships had played an important role in the country's "economic transformation" since 1994, and that the tourism campaign helped generate nearly $650m (£488m) in tourism revenues last the latest deal, Jean-Guy Afrika, the chief executive of the Rwanda Development Board, said Atletico Madrid's "values of resilience, discipline, and excellence" closely aligned with Rwanda's "national ethos and transformation journey".The Visit Rwanda logo will be visible immediately, as it will appear on the front of Atletico's men's first team's training and warm-up kits in the remaining five matches of the La Liga season as well as during the Fifa Club World Cup in June and next season, it will also appear on the women's first team's training and warm-up kits and on the back of shirts of both of the club's senior Atletico official highlighted that Rwanda was a country "in constant growth" and added the deal had "great importance" as part of the club's aims of international expansion. Sovereignty agreement and peace talks The decades-long conflict in eastern DR Congo has intensified since January when M23 staged an unprecedented offensive, seizing the cities of Goma and Bukavu and sparking fears of a wider regional has said its forces are acting in self-defence against the Congolese army and allied militias, some of which it accuses of links to the 1994 Rwandan Congo also accuses Rwanda of illegally exploiting its mineral deposits, which Rwanda the end of last week DR Congo and Rwanda signed an agreement to respect each other's sovereignty and come up with a draft peace deal by agreement in Washington DC came about after the government in Kinshasa turned to the United States for help in exchange for access to mineral deposits, and both sides now expect significant investments facilitated by the US government and private DR Congo and the M23 group said last week that they were committed to peace, expressing hopes that a permanent ceasefire could be than a week of talks mediated by Qatar have been described as "frank and constructive".Congolese Arsenal fan Tresor Kudabika, who is part of the Gunners for Peace campaign, said that peace negotiations would not change their ultimate target of getting the club to end the Visit Rwanda deal."Some way or another we will find a way to end this conflict, but it is not the right moment for Arsenal to keep this deal," he told BBC Sport Africa."It is not giving a good image."
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arsenal urged to put Visit Rwanda 'financial gains' aside
A number of Arsenal fans campaigning for the Premier League side not to renew its sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda have called on the Gunners' board to "put financial gains aside". The Gunners for Peace group are suggesting that Tottenham, home to the club's arch-rivals, would be a preferable sleeve sponsor to Rwanda. The African nation's partnerships with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain have come under the spotlight after increased violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities say 7,000 people have been killed since January. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of arming M23 rebels and sending troops to support the militants. Despite assertions from both the United Nations and United States, Rwanda has denied supporting the M23. "In Congo, or amongst the Congolese community, they are ripping or cutting off the Visit Rwanda part of the Arsenal shirt," campaigner Joe Mbu, who was born in DR Congo, told BBC Sport Africa. Fellow Congolese Tresor Kudabika, who has modified his own kit to bear his nation's flag on the sleeve, agrees the links to Rwanda are hurting the team's popularity. "We had the (Uefa Champions League) quarter-final against Real Madrid. The whole country in Congo was supporting Real," he said. Gunners for Peace say that, after recent polling, six in 10 Arsenal fans support ending the Visit Rwanda deal. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo Visit Rwanda's sleeve partnership with Arsenal began in 2018, and the current deal - which campaigners believe runs out at the end of this season - is reportedly worth more than £10m ($13.3m) per year. Last week French club PSG, who face the Gunners in the semi-finals of the Champions League, renewed their partnership with Visit Rwanda until 2028. That decision came despite an online petition calling on PSG to terminate the deal garnering 75,000 signatures. Mbu and his fellow campaigners remain hopeful the north London outfit will not follow suit. "I believe that they can do the right thing. The good thing about it is that we have been in communication with representatives from Arsenal," Mbu said. "At what point do we look at putting financial gains aside and look at the humanity of it? "For Arsenal to continue with the sponsorship would be a great shame." Arsenal said the club will not be commenting on the Gunners for Peace campaign, while a Rwanda government spokesperson defended their sports partnerships and said they helped boost the country's economy. Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Arsenal Rwanda Supporters Club told BBC Sport Africa that assertions the broader fanbase were split over the deal "over-state the scale of dissent". Rwanda recently hosted a fan festival for the continent, bringing together supporters from over 10 countries. "The festival showcased strong pan-African backing for the team and for the Visit Rwanda collaboration," Arsenal Rwanda's Olivier Nemeye said. "Political grievances are properly addressed in diplomatic or multilateral forums (such as the African Union or UN), not via football sponsorships." Gunners for Peace first posted a spoof video online advertising the "beautiful streets" of Tottenham before unveiling a billboard close to the Emirates Stadium bearing the message 'Visit Tottenham'. "It is a joke with a very serious punchline," organiser James Turner said. "What we're trying to do is to make the point that we really can't think of a worse sponsor than Rwanda. "Obviously most Arsenal fans wouldn't want to be sponsored by Tottenham. "We simply want a sponsor that better fits the values of the club." The group also handed out armbands to supporters, which could be used to cover the Visit Rwanda logo on the sleeve of shirts, ahead of Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday. "People have to feel free to wear Arsenal shirts," Kudabika explained. "You can't be feeling ashamed to wear an Arsenal shirt because it has Visit Rwanda on it." Gunners for Peace are set to order more armbands ahead of the home leg of the Champions League tie against PSG next Tuesday, and are also in discussions with fans of the French club about potential joint action. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich have not issued an update on their football development and tourism promotion partnership with Rwanda since early February, when the German club sent two employees out to the country to "monitor the situation". The decades-long conflict in eastern DR Congo has intensified since January when M23 staged an unprecedented offensive, seizing the cities of Goma and Bukavu and sparking fears of a wider regional war. Rwanda has said its forces are acting in self-defence against the Congolese army and allied militias, some of which it accuses of links to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. DR Congo also accuses Rwanda of illegally exploiting its mineral deposits, which Rwanda denies. However, DR Congo and the rebels have agreed to halt fighting until peace talks mediated by Qatar reach their "conclusion". On Wednesday both sides jointly announced they will work towards peace following more than a week of talks described as "frank and constructive". Rwanda's government has been accused of investing in sport to enhance its global image - a strategy labelled by critics as 'sportswashing'. Alongside the Visit Rwanda deals, Kigali is set to be the venue for cycling's World Road Championships in September but hopes of the country hosting a Formula 1 race appear to have receded. The Rwandan government said its sports partnerships had played an important role in the country's "economic transformation" since 1994, and that African countries should get "more involved" in the sector. "The Visit Rwanda tourism campaign allowed Rwanda to generate nearly $650m (£488m) in tourism revenues last year," a spokesperson told BBC Sport Africa. "Elite sport is no longer the preserve of the few countries who have historically controlled it. "Global sporting organisations are embracing the rest of the world as they see the chance to grow new fans." Rwanda's decision to go into partnership with Arsenal seven years ago was perhaps unsurprising, given that the country's President, Paul Kagame, is a Gunners fan. Even with peace talks ongoing, Kudabika is insistent that his club should now cut those ties. "Wearing Visit Rwanda is just telling people that it's okay for people to kill people from Congo," he said. "I believe that if Arsenal value their standards they will drop this."
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Arsenal urged to put Visit Rwanda 'financial gains' aside
A number of Arsenal fans campaigning for the Premier League side not to renew its sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda have called on the Gunners' board to "put financial gains aside".The Gunners for Peace group are suggesting that Tottenham, home to the club's arch-rivals, would be a preferable sleeve sponsor to African nation's partnerships with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain have come under the spotlight after increased violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities say 7,000 people have been killed since Congolese government accuses Rwanda of arming M23 rebels and sending troops to support the militants. Despite assertions from both the United Nations and United States, Rwanda has denied supporting the M23."In Congo, or amongst the Congolese community, they are ripping or cutting off the Visit Rwanda part of the Arsenal shirt," campaigner Joe Mbu, who was born in DR Congo, told BBC Sport Congolese Tresor Kudabika, who has modified his own kit to bear his nation's flag on the sleeve, agrees the links to Rwanda are hurting the team's popularity."We had the (Uefa Champions League) quarter-final against Real Madrid. The whole country in Congo was supporting Real," he for Peace say that, after recent polling, six in 10 Arsenal fans support ending the Visit Rwanda deal. Visit Rwanda's sleeve partnership with Arsenal began in 2018, and the current deal - which campaigners believe runs out at the end of this season - is reportedly worth more than £10m ($13.3m) per week French club PSG, who face the Gunners in the semi-finals of the Champions League, renewed their partnership with Visit Rwanda until decision came despite an online petition calling on PSG to terminate the deal garnering 75,000 and his fellow campaigners remain hopeful the north London outfit will not follow suit."I believe that they can do the right thing. The good thing about it is that we have been in communication with representatives from Arsenal," Mbu said."At what point do we look at putting financial gains aside and look at the humanity of it?"For Arsenal to continue with the sponsorship would be a great shame."Arsenal said the club will not be commenting on the Gunners for Peace campaign, while a Rwanda government spokesperson defended their sports partnerships and said they helped boost the country's the secretary general of the Arsenal Rwanda Supporters Club told BBC Sport Africa that assertions the broader fanbase were spit over the deal "over-state the scale of dissent".Rwanda recently hosted a fan festival, external for the continent, bringing together supporters from over 10 countries."The festival showcased strong pan-African backing for the team and for the Visit Rwanda collaboration," Arsenal Rwanda's Olivier Nemeye said."Political grievances are properly addressed in diplomatic or multilateral forums (such as the African Union or UN), not via football sponsorships." Why 'Visit Tottenham?' Gunners for Peace first posted a spoof video online advertising the "beautiful streets" of Tottenham before unveiling a billboard close to the Emirates Stadium bearing the message 'Visit Tottenham'."It is a joke with a very serious punchline," organiser James Turner said."What we're trying to do is to make the point that we really can't think of a worse sponsor than Rwanda."Obviously most Arsenal fans wouldn't want to be sponsored by Tottenham."We simply want a sponsor that better fits the values of the club."The group also handed out armbands to supporters, which could be used to cover the Visit Rwanda logo on the sleeve of shirts, ahead of Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday."People have to feel free to wear Arsenal shirts," Kudabika explained."You can't be feeling ashamed to wear an Arsenal shirt because it has Visit Rwanda on it."Gunners for Peace are set to order more armbands ahead of the home leg of the Champions League tie against PSG next Tuesday, and are also in discussions with fans of the French club about potential joint Bayern Munich have not issued an update on their football development and tourism promotion partnership with Rwanda since early February, when the German club sent two employees out to the country to "monitor the situation". Ceasefire and 'economic transformation' The decades-long conflict in eastern DR Congo has intensified since January when M23 staged an unprecedented offensive, seizing the cities of Goma and Bukavu and sparking fears of a wider regional has said its forces are acting in self-defence against the Congolese army and allied militias, some of which it accuses of links to the 1994 Rwandan Congo also accuses Rwanda of illegally exploiting its mineral deposits, which Rwanda DR Congo and the rebels have agreed to halt fighting until peace talks mediated by Qatar reach their "conclusion".On Wednesday both sides jointly announced they will work towards peace following more than a week of talks described as "frank and constructive".Rwanda's government has been accused of investing in sport to enhance its global image - a strategy labelled by critics as 'sportswashing'.Alongside the Visit Rwanda deals, Kigali is set to be the venue for cycling's World Road Championships in September but hopes of the country hosting a Formula 1 race appear to have Rwandan government said its sports partnerships had played an important role in the country's "economic transformation" since 1994, and that African countries should get "more involved" in the sector."The Visit Rwanda tourism campaign allowed Rwanda to generate nearly $650m (£488m) in tourism revenues last year," a spokesperson told BBC Sport Africa."Elite sport is no longer the preserve of the few countries who have historically controlled it."Global sporting organisations are embracing the rest of the world as they see the chance to grow new fans."Rwanda's decision to go into partnership with Arsenal seven years ago was perhaps unsurprising, given that the country's President, Paul Kagame, is a Gunners with peace talks ongoing, Kudabika is insistent that his club should now cut those ties."Wearing Visit Rwanda is just telling people that it's okay for people to kill people from Congo," he said."I believe that if Arsenal value their standards they will drop this."
