After the storm following the 5-0 thrashing against Manchester City calmed down, and Arsenal recorded two 1-0 wins over Norwich and Burnley, new problems are on the horizon. Luckily for the most criticized duo Arteta – Edu, this time it’s not about football and out of form players, it’s ’only’ about human rights. Remember those hilarious tweets from Rwanda president and long time Arsenal fan, after a 2-0 loss to Brentford? Well, that guy is the problem now. Basically, buy wearing his sponsorship on their sleeves, the Gunners are basically sponsoring the country which is known for violating human rights, and the voices calling for dismissal of this sponsorship are louder and louder, and they are coming from all directions: Rwanda, fan base, human rights organizations…Criticized worldwide: President of Rwanda against ArsenalThe first in line was Carine Kanimba, daughter of Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina. Her father inspired the hit film ’Hotel Rwanda’, as he protected more than 1,000 people in need of shelter during a period in 1994 when 800,000 people, mainly from the Tutsi ethnic group, were slaughtered in Rwanda. And his daughter spoke today, after her father was sentenced for 25 years for terror-related offences which his family denies. Among other things, she called for sponsorship deal with Paul Kagame worth 4.3 billion Ksh to be dismissed. “Arsenal should turn down Rwandan money and ask for my father’s immediate release. Out of respect for human rights, out of respect for justice, out of respect for the future of humanity, then a sports club like Arsenal should not take money from a dictator like Paul Kagame” she told ITV News, and she is not alone. “Out of respect for human rights…Arsenal should not take money from a dictator like Paul Kagame.”Carine Kanimba, whose father inspired the hit film Hotel Rwanda, has called for Arsenal to end its sponsorship deal with the Rwandan government. https://t.co/ISUR7KG6Uo pic.twitter.com/ptEXlg8e2M— ITV News (@itvnews) September 20, 2021 The journalist Michela Wrong, whose book ’Do Not Disturb’ digs deep into Kagame’s authoritarian regime, described the agreement with Arsenal as “like being sponsored by Pinochet” and “an insult to UK taxpayers”. “It’s a controlling, repressive, sinister regime. But does Arsenal want to be connected with a country with that profile and reputation? He does a lot of this sportswashing. He’s a very clever marketer who consults and pays huge amounts of money to lobbying and reputational management companies. Tens of thousands of pounds from this incredibly poor country” she said in an interview with football.london. And ’The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust’ have sought answers from the club and the government.“The AST has questioned the morality of this commercial arrangement since it was first announced in 2018. Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world and is in receipt of foreign financial aid from many countries including the UK. On any grounds a deal such as this is hard to justify and claims of sportwashing by a regime that is coming under increasing scrutiny is difficult to refute. Disappointingly Arsenal appear to have lost its moral compass in its desire to maximise revenues and in the absence of any ESG environmental, social and governance framework at the club unpalatable deals such as this will remain unchecked” a spokesperson said.21.45: (1.15) Arsenal (7.75) Wimbledon (18.0)Kagame signed the deal with Arsenal three years ago – since then, “Visit Rwanda” is on the football shirts of Arsenal’s first, under-23 and women’s teams. “Since our partnership began in 2018, we have worked together to tell Rwanda’s story of culture, heritage and transition, as well as raising awareness of the country as a holiday destination. One year after the partnership began, Rwanda’s tourism revenue increased by 17% and tourists from Europe increased by 22%. This increase supports the growth of Rwanda’s economy, creating more revenue they can reinvest across all key sectors, lifting thousands out of poverty, and empowering citizens. This is where we will continue our focus” an Arsenal spokesperson said.Paul Kagame is a long-time Arsenal supporter and has use of an executive box at the Emirates. He also has a similar deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
