The DRC is calling on three top European football clubs-Paris Saint Germain, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich-to terminate their sponsorship contracts with Rwanda, claiming the money that the West African nation is using in this regard may be connected to money from minerals that were taken out of Congo illicitly. This request comes at a time when tensions between the two countries are growing because of continuous conflict in eastern DRC.

In a letter to PSG’s management, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congolese foreign minister, asked whether the sponsorship deal the club had with Rwanda was connected to money made from smuggled minerals. “Are you sure that the money from blood minerals is not financing your sponsorship contract?” the letter asked. The letter also questioned the international aid given to Rwanda and whether any of that money was being used to fund the sponsorship deals.

DRC has severally accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel group M23, which recently captured Goma City in eastern DRC. Rwanda denies this accusation, but the government of DRC says it stands firm in what it has stated. The resultant conflict has spilled suffering across the region, with many displaced and lives lost.

Recently, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the M23 rebels and their alleged Rwandan backers for actions in eastern DRC. In her letter, Minister Wagner hoped PSG would take a similar stand. “I hope Paris Saint-Germain will do the same,” she wrote.

PSG have been sponsored by Rwanda since 2019 as part of the “Visit Rwanda” tourism campaign, a deal the club has with the country’s government, just like Arsenal and Bayern Munich. These sponsorships promote Rwanda as a tourist destination through the display of the country’s branding on the clubs’ jerseys and stadiums. However, the DRC government says that the money used for these sponsorships should be closely looked at.

DRC believes the sponsorship deal with these football clubs may be indirectly financing the conflict in eastern Congo. Wagner explained that “Rwanda gets a lot of international aid, which accounts for a big percentage of its economy, and was wonderin’ if it is using that aid money for paying sponsorship money instead of spending it on Rwandan people.”.

The government of Rwanda has vehemently denied these claims, terming them baseless. The government of Rwanda insists that the sponsorships of PSG, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich are purely for economic reasons, meant to boost tourism. It affirms that it has no connection with the M23 rebels and that it is not involved in eastern DRC.

The government of the DRC has threatened to launch a major assault on the M23 rebels. The other day, demonstrations took place in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, when people demanded that the government act against the rebels. The protests became violent when several embassies, including Uganda’s, were looted and torched. This action by the protesters has drawn countrywide criticism leveled against the DRC government.

These are rare occasions when football clubs engage in political tussles, but the momentum of human rights groups and that channeled from the government of the DRC might compel PSG, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich to review their engagements with Rwanda. In the past, football clubs have canceled sponsorship deals over ethical issues. Last April, Manchester United cut ties with the Russian airline Aeroflot after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The DRC letter to those football clubs underscores growing concerns on the increasing trend on money fuelling conflicts as the majority argues money attained from criminal activities like the smuggling of minerals mustn’t be invested in bankrolling some sporting teams. The Congolese government now hopes this action might prompt the Rwandan authorities to call their allies -M23 Rebels.

Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” campaign had made the country popular among visitors, but the DRC argued it came at a price: money spent in these sponsorships might be linked to the suffering of people in eastern Congo. The government of the DRC calls for more clarity and accountability by Rwanda in how its funds are being used.

The international community is being called into action as fighting continues to rage in eastern DRC. The DRC government hopes that this move targeting Rwanda’s sponsorship deals with major football clubs will shine a light on the crisis and push toward a solution. So far, football clubs have failed to respond to the request by the DRC, but the pressure is growing.

The general situation in eastern DRC remains appalling, with thousands displaced and needing help. The government of the DRC is doing all it can to end the conflict and restore peace in the region. In this light, the DRC is asking PSG, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich to sever their relationship with Rwanda as a means of moving toward making this happen.

Ultimately, that is going to be left in the hands of the football clubs: whether to continue with their contracts or heed the call by the government of DRC and other human rights organizations. All eyes are on them now, and that decision might just change the game for eastern DRC.

For now, people in eastern Congo continue to suffer, and the hope for peace is not in sight. The request by the government of the DRC to PSG, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich is a call for justice and accountability in place. It places a reminder that the world of sports does not live in a vacuum, oblivious to the realities of conflict and suffering. A choice is left to the football clubs now, which might shape the future of the region.