Bayern Munich ended its sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda following mounting backlash.
The club announced the termination shortly after signing a new sponsorship agreement with UAE-based airline Emirates.
In their statement, Bayern described this move as a “strategic evolution of their partnership.”
CONGO FOREIGN MINISTER HAD CALLED FOR ACTION
In February of this year, Congo’s Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner sent an open letter to Bayern Munich and the clubs Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, both sponsored by Visit Rwanda, urging them to cut “bloody sponsorship deals with this oppressive regime.”
Rwanda is accused of supporting the M23 rebel group fighting to control eastern Congo.
They are also accused of exploiting the mineral resources in eastern Congo for their own benefit.
Fans and some political groups claim that Rwanda uses these sports sponsorships as a way to whitewash its image.
PARTNERSHIP NOT ENDED COMPLETELY, ONLY CHANGED FORM
Visit Rwanda entered European football in 2018 through a sleeve sponsorship deal with Arsenal.
A year later, they partnered with Paris Saint-Germain.
They later signed a sponsorship deal with Spanish club Atletico Madrid.
However, after Bayern Munich’s sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, fans protested by displaying a banner reading, “Visit Rwanda – whoever looks on with indifference is betraying FC Bayern’s values!”
Bayern Munich has stepped back from the sponsorship, but their relationship with Rwanda is not completely severed.
Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen stated that the contract remains valid until 2028. Although the nature of the sponsorship has changed, it is expected to continue for some time.