Villa warned over sportswashing after Visit Rwanda deal
Summary
Aston Villa football club has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, the country's tourism board, which will appear on their team shirts. Human rights group Amnesty International has warned the deal could be used by Rwanda to improve its image despite allegations of involvement in conflict and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Key Facts
- Aston Villa signed a multi-year, £20 million per year deal with Visit Rwanda for shirt sponsorship.
- The sponsorship covers men's, women's, and academy teams.
- Amnesty International UK warns Rwanda is using sports to “sportswash” its human rights record.
- Rwanda faces accusations from the Democratic Republic of Congo of supporting armed groups and military actions in Congo.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo filed a case in the International Court of Justice against Rwanda last month.
- Visit Rwanda has similar sponsorship deals with Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris St-Germain.
- Supporters and human rights groups have criticized those deals due to Rwanda’s alleged role in regional conflict and abuses.
- Aston Villa replaced gambling sponsor Betano following Premier League rules on gambling logos on shirts.
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