Premier League leaders Arsenal will conclude their partnership with Rwanda at the end of this season, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced on Wednesday.

The Visit Rwanda deal, signed eight seasons ago, had faced growing scrutiny amid ongoing violence in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which shares a border with Rwanda.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of providing support to the M23 militia, which has captured large areas of DRC territory since taking up arms in 2021. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis, although recent months have seen a ceasefire agreement and a peace framework put in place between the DRC and M23.

Arsenal supporters voiced protests in April over the continuing partnership, which saw the Visit Rwanda logo featured on the sleeves of the club’s jerseys.

“Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have mutually agreed to conclude their partnership at the end of this season, bringing to a close an eight-season collaboration that included Visit Rwanda as Arsenal’s first Official Sleeve Partner,” the RDB said in a statement.

Rwanda maintains sponsorship agreements with other European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Atletico Madrid.