Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich have been under increasing pressure to end their Visit Rwanda deals as the conflict between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo escalates.

The calls started after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured Goma, a major city in Eastern DR Congo and the epicenter of the conflict which spans more than 30 years. With more than 400,000 people displaced this year alone, DR Congo's Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner has written to the owners urging them to cut ties with Rwanda.

Through Visit Rwanda’s high-profile football partnerships, the country has been accused of sportswashing. The deals first popped up in 2018, with Visit Rwanda becoming Arsenal’s sleeve sponsor. The Gunners were quickly followed by PSG and Bayern, with the sponsorships enhancing the East African country’s global profile via some of the biggest clubs and fanbases in the world.

Sportswashing has become a major problem in football in recent years, with countries and organisations attempting to mask moral shortcomings and human rights violations with tournaments, one-off matches and profitable deals.

As the violence in Goma escalates, with thousands injured and killed in the last few weeks, the three clubs have been asked to question the morality of the deals and what exactly they are promoting when they step onto the pitch every week.