Aston Villa’s newly announced sponsorship link with Visit Rwanda has sparked backlash from human rights activists, who argue the agreement is being used to improve the country’s public standing abroad. British media reports Amnesty International has raised concerns that Rwanda is leveraging the partnership to polish its international image.
Visit Rwanda and the Premier League club completed the multi-year contract on Tuesday, with reports valuing the arrangement at roughly £20 million (around $26 million) each year.
Amnesty International UK warned that the collaboration could assist Rwanda in “sportswashing” its human rights record, pointing to disputed claims about the nation’s involvement in unrest in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. The concerns were highlighted in reporting from BBC Sport.
Rwanda’s government has repeatedly rejected allegations that it supports rebel groups active in Congo.
Felix Jakens, Amnesty UK’s head of campaigns, said: “It’s not new that Rwanda is using sportswashing to deflect attention from its terrible human rights record,” according to BBC Sport.
Jakens added: “Aston Villa should be well aware that Rwanda is seeking to leverage this partnership to create positive PR … Rwanda’s sportswashing needs to be called out, and we’d like Aston Villa and the Premier League to play their part in this.”
Reuters reached out to Aston Villa, Visit Rwanda and Amnesty International for their responses to the criticism.
Rwanda’s tourism authority is not new to elite sports sponsorship. It already holds partnerships with Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, and also with American franchises including the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Rams.
Previously, it had an eight-year sleeve sponsorship arrangement with Arsenal, which ended last season. That contract prompted protests from some supporters of the London club.
Villa, meanwhile, had been searching for a replacement for its prior sponsor, Betano, following Premier League teams’ decision to move away from betting-firm front-of-shirt sponsorship.
