English Premier League club Arsenal has paid tribute to victims and survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on the 31st anniversary of the ethnic cleansing.
In a post on its social media channels, Arsenal said ‘Kwibuka’ means ‘to remember’—alluding to the Kinyarwanda word that has been adopted for the genocide memorial.
"Today we mark the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda," the North London club posted on X.
Arsenal's stand with Rwandans on their anniversary of their darkest day comes after the Gunners and other European top clubs came under intense pressure from DR Congo and its backers to stop sponsorship deals with the Kigali government's tourism promotion.
It comes as Rwandan President Paul Kagame made a heartfelt appeal to the international community to "truly understand" the tragedy and show compassion on this day of remembrance of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“On the day of commemoration, the 7th of April, can you be kind enough to commemorate with us and stop there... then you can have the rest of 364 days blaming us every day for everything you don't like,” Kagame said.
As well as Arsenal, Rwanda has partnerships with French giants Paris-Saint Germain and German Bundesliga record winners Bayern Munich.
Rwanda's sponsorship deal with Arsenal Football Club was initially signed in 2018, valued at approximately £30 million over three years, equating to about £10 million per year.
In 2021, this partnership was extended for an additional four years, maintaining the annual sponsorship fee at up to £10 million, totaling around £40 million through to 2025
The Rwanda Tourism Board runs the “Visit Rwanda” message on shirt sleeves of top clubs and promotes the slogan through banners in stadiums and electronic pitch-side hoardings.
But amid renewed fighting in eastern DR Congo, where Rwanda is widely accused of backing the M23 rebel group, Kinshasa has led a diplomatic push to get major European clubs to end their ties with Rwanda’s tourism board.
The government of President Félix Tshisekedi has repeatedly accused Kigali of supporting violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands in the eastern region and targeted Rwanda’s international visibility as a way to increase pressure.
In a strongly worded letter to clubs, DR Congo’s foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner stated: "Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery.
"If not for your own consciences, then the clubs should do it for the victims of Rwandan aggression."
Similar appeals have been echoed by Congolese activists and diaspora communities, some of whom staged demonstrations near stadiums during club matchdays, urging an end to what they called "sportswashing genocide."
Despite these calls, Arsenal, PSG, and Bayern Munich have continued their partnerships. Rwanda has defended the deals as purely promotional and beneficial for national development, tourism, and investment.
The Rwanda Development Board denounced the DR Congo campaign as politically motivated disinformation.
“The smear campaign against Rwanda’s international partnerships is an attack not just on our image, but on regional peace and cooperation," the board said.
Authorities in the City of Paris last week blocked a Congolese group from organizing an event on April 7, citing the clash with Rwanda’s Genocide Commemoration Day.
The decision has been viewed by many in Kigali as a rare gesture of international sensitivity to the significance of the date and the ongoing trauma tied to it.
Kigali has accused the Congolese government of committing acts of genocide against ethnic Tutsi Congolese communities in eastern DR Congo, where the M23 rebel group—composed largely of Congolese Tutsi—has been fighting what they describe as a struggle for survival and rights.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied accusations that it backs the group militarily, instead asserting that the root of the conflict lies in the systemic discrimination and persecution of the Tutsi population in Congo.
From April 7 to July 4, 1994, more than one million people—primarily Tutsi, along with moderate Hutu and others who opposed the genocidal regime—were systematically murdered.
The official commemoration ceremony is being held today at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, where President Kagame and other dignitaries are expected to light the Flame of Remembrance, symbolising the country's resilience and collective memory.
Rwanda will observe seven days of national mourning, during which public events such as parties, concerts, and sports will be suspended.
The wider commemoration period will continue for three months, ending on July 7. The genocide was brought to an end on July 4, 1994, by the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA-Inkotanyi), led by Kagame.
onour the victims of 1994 but also to recognize the warning signs of violence wherever they appear—and to act with empathy, vigilance, and justice.