The Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, has called on football giants Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich to sever their partnerships with Rwanda, citing concerns over Rwanda's involvement in ongoing tensions in the central African region.
The controversy stems from Rwanda's perceived support of armed groups in eastern DRC, where conflicts between local militias and the Congolese government have displaced millions and contributed to a humanitarian crisis.
In a statement released on socials, Wagner has pointed to the sponsorship deals between the Rwandan government through its Visit Rwanda Initiative and the three football clubs, urging the clubs to reconsider their affiliations.
"I write to question the morality of your club, your players and your supporters as to why you are continuing your financial relationship with "Visit Rwanda". The President of that country Paul Kagame is an autocrat and his army, along with its proxy militia the m23 are waging war inside the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)," Wagner stated.
Rwanda has long been a partner to both Arsenal and Bayern Munich, with its national tourism agency, Rwanda Development Board (RDB), securing prominent advertising deals, with Visit Rwanda appearing on Arsenal's shirts and Bayern's training gear. President Kagame is also an avid Arsenal fan, occasionally commenting on the club's performances on the pitch.
While both clubs have remained largely silent on the matter, the statement from the DRC Foreign Minister is expected to escalate the diplomatic tensions.
"While Arsenal played its final match of the first phase of this year's UEFA Champions league 500,000 more people became displaced in the eastern DRC. Thousands are currently trapped in the city of Goma with restricted access to food, water and security. Countless lives have been lost; raped, murder and theft prevail. Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery," she stated in the letter addressed to Stanley and Josh Kroenke, Arsenal FC owners.
According to Kinshasa, the millions of tons of minerals critical to energy transition including copper, cobalt, lithium as well as Gold, have been mined illegally in the territory occupied by M23.
"The DRC has recently launched legal proceeding against Apple over the blood minerals we believe are in its supply chain. How certain are you that the blood minerals cash is not being used to fund your sponsorship deals?" she asked.
Wagner has invoked the words of UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy where he told President Kagame that Rwanda must act to de-escalate the ongoing conflict.
"His words should provoke Arsenal to think again about whether its association with Rwanda is doing more harm than good," she added.
The Foreign Affairs minister warned Arsenal ditch its blood-stained sponsorship deal, stating that is should be done if not for their (owners) own consciences, then the club should do it for the victims of Rwandan aggression.
