By Kwame Bediako
Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has called on prominent football clubs Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain to end their sponsorship agreements with “Visit Rwanda.”
Wagner described these sponsorships as “blood-stained,” highlighting their implications in the face of a deepening humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo, which is marked by significant violence and suffering.
The DRC health ministry has reported a staggering toll, with nearly 800 bodies currently in Goma’s mortuaries, a grim statistic following recent offensives by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. This conflict, primarily for control over the resource-rich eastern region, has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, further aggravating a humanitarian crisis that has persisted for years. Wagner’s remarks come as the situation continues to deteriorate, with many residents of Goma lacking access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, and security.
The United Nations has documented severe human rights violations amid the chaos, including acts of execution, sexual violence, and assaults on displacement camps. Wagner emphasised these dire conditions in her address, urging the football clubs to reconsider their partnerships with “Visit Rwanda,” which she claims are indirectly supporting the suffering of the Congolese people. She pointed to a UN report alleging the presence of approximately 4,000 Rwandan troops operating within Congo, stating, “Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery.”
In response, Rwanda has denied these allegations, asserting that its military actions are aimed at combating Hutu-led militias in Congo that pose a threat to its national security. Meanwhile, the Congolese government accuses Rwanda of utilising the M23 rebel group to further exploit the DRC’s abundant mineral resources. With “Visit Rwanda” sponsoring Arsenal for an estimated £10 million annually, alongside partnerships with Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain, Wagner’s calls for ethical reconsideration of these sponsorships resonate amid the ongoing turmoil.
