Rwanda on Thursday described recent criticism of its Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain sponsorship deals by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s foreign minister as a threat to regional peace and stability.

Earlier this month DRC’s foreign minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner urged the three clubs to end their “blood-stained” sponsorship agreements with “Visit Rwanda”, questioning the morality of such partnerships while fighting raged in eastern Congo.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized a number of key towns and cities there in what is the gravest escalation in more than a decade of a long-running conflict rooted in the spillover into Congo of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo’s vast mineral resources.

“The Government of Rwanda rejects recent attempts by the Democratic Republic of Congo to undermine Rwanda’s international partnerships through misinformation and political pressure,” Rwanda Development Board, which oversees the deals, said in a statement on Thursday.

“These efforts not only misrepresent the truth but also threaten the foundations of regional peace, stability, and economic cooperation that we have worked tirelessly to build.”

Congo’s Kayikwamba Wagner repeated her criticisms in a swift response, claiming Rwanda had more than 4,000 troops fighting alongside the M23 and pointing to the recent condemnation from the UN, the United States and other G7 nations.

The fighting in eastern Congo has led to human rights violations including summary executions, the bombing of displacement camps, reports of gang rape and other sexual violence, according to the United Nations.

The U.S. on Thursday made its most direct intervention in the crisis so far as it imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s government minister for Regional Integration, who it said was “central” to Rwanda’s support of the M23 militant group.

Rwanda says it is defending itself, accusing Congo’s military of joining forces with ethnic Hutu-led militias bent on slaughtering Tutsis in Congo and threatening Rwanda, where Hutus targeted Tutsis in a 1994 genocide and some of them later fled to Congo.

“Visit Rwanda” began their sponsorship of Arsenal in 2018, with the latest deal reported to be worth more than 10 million pounds ($12 million) per year.

Bayern Munich signed a five-year football development and tourism promotion partnership with Rwanda in 2023, while “Visit Rwanda” has been a sponsor of PSG since 2019.

Reuters previously contacted the three clubs about the sponsorship deals but none replied.

“We encourage all of Rwanda’s international partners… to think very carefully if Rwanda is a country that aligns with their values,” DRC’s Kayikwamba Wagner said in her statement on Thursday.

-Reuters

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Nadia Amal Bernoussi, a Moroccan has been elected to the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights during the elections held on Monday in Geneva.

It was at the opening of the 33rd session of the committee. International observers see the election as another testimony to the credibility Morocco enjoys within the international community due to the significant efforts made in support of the promotion, protection, and consolidation of human rights, both at the national and international levels, in line with the High Vision of HM King Mohammed VI.

According to reports in the Morocco news agency, MAP, the election is a testimony to the confidence placed in Morocco’s candidates by UN member states in the various UN bodies.

Ms. Bernoussi’s election is a recognition of her commitment and efforts on this committee, where she has served since 2020. She was re-elected for a second term in 2023 for 2023-2026.

 A member of the Venice Commission, Ms. Bernoussi is an eminent figure in the field of human rights, recognized both nationally and internationally.

 She served as a member of the advisory commission for the revision of the 2011 constitution and continues to make important contributions to academic research in the field of human rights.

 The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee is a subsidiary body of the HRC composed of 18 experts. Its mission is to serve as a think tank for the advancement and protection of all human rights.

 During its 33rd session which runs until February 21, the committee will consider requests made to it in connection with HRC resolutions, notably those concerning gender mainstreaming, fostering a democratic and equitable international order, and taking account of issues relating to people with disabilities.

 It will also examine resolutions on the human rights implications of new and emerging technologies in the military field; the effects of misinformation on the exercise and realization of human rights; technology-facilitated gender-based violence and its impact on women and girls; and the impact of plastic pollution on the full enjoyment of human rights.

Guatemala has joined the ever-growing international support for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative, which seeks a final resolution to the Western Sahara dispute.

The Autonomy Plan has been on the front burner since 2007. At various times, it has been considered realistic and credible.

Guatemala has renewed support for the plan as claimed by the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mónica Bolaños in Rabat on Tuesday.  

The solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara depends on the autonomy plan, within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Bolaños stressed in a statement to the press following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita.

The Guatemalan official reiterated her country’s firm support for the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve a peaceful, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to this issue.

She also noted that the opening in December 2022 of a Consulate General of the Republic of Guatemala in Dakhla was an important step towards bolstering relations between the two countries.