Aston Villa's New Sponsorship Deal Sparks Controversy in England

Aston Villa's new sponsorship deal with the tourism company "Visit Rwanda" has sparked strong reactions from human rights organizations. Amnesty International claims the African nation is using the agreement to whitewash its international image. "Visit Rwanda" and the Birmingham club signed a deal reportedly worth around £20 million annually, under which the company's logo will feature prominently as the main shirt sponsor for the coming years.

According to the human rights NGO Amnesty International, the partnership risks helping Rwanda improve its international standing through sports, citing allegations regarding the country's role in the conflict in neighboring DR Congo. The Rwandan government consistently denies accusations of supporting rebel groups operating in its neighbor's territory. "It's not new for Rwanda to use sport to clean up its image and deflect attention from its appalling human rights record. Aston Villa should be aware that Rwanda is using this partnership to create a positive public image... Rwanda's sportswashing needs to be called out and exposed, and we would like Aston Villa and the Premier League to play their part in that," Felix Jakens, Head of Campaigns at Amnesty UK, told BBC Sport.

The African nation's tourism board already holds sponsorship deals with European club champions Paris Saint-Germain, Spanish giants Atlético Madrid, and several American teams, including the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams. Last season, reigning Premier League champions Arsenal ended an eight-year partnership with "Visit Rwanda" following protests from the London club's supporters. Aston Villa had been seeking a new sponsor after their previous deal with "Betano" had to be replaced due to an agreement to ban gambling company logos from the front of kits.