The Tribune reporting on the tension surrounding the sleeve deal in 2022

ARSENAL fans will soon no longer have an advert for the Rwandan tourist board on their replica shirts – after the club announced a controversial sponsorship deal will come to an end next year.

The Gunners had faced criticism for striking a sleeve deal with a country regularly accused of human rights abuse and dubious elections. President Paul Kagame, the Arsenal-supporting president, was once elected with 99 per cent of the vote.

He took the credit for ending the genocidal attacks which saw at least half a million die at the hands of machete-wielding death squads amid a bloody civil war.

But since taking power himself, Kagame has been accused of ruling with intimidation. Critics, including journalists, are said to suffer mysterious deaths.

The leader and his supporters deny all of the claims thrown at them by human rights groups.

He has been photographed with Arsenal players as part of the promotion. This has not stopped criticism of a country spending vast amounts on sports sponsorship in a country struggling with high levels of poverty.

And the issue intensified earlier this year when the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) called on Arsenal to end the sponsorship after Rwandan-backed rebels seized the city of Goma.

Last week Arsenal confirmed an eight-year deal was coming to an end by mutual agreement.

Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick said the partnership had been a “significant journey” and had “built many new connections with our supporters across Africa”.