Washington Post op-ed: Even our favorite team has a human rights sportwashing problem

As lifelong friends from opposite sides of the Atlantic, we’re united by our devotion to Arsenal: our favorite soccer club in the English Premier League. As it is for many other Arsenal fans around the world, rooting for the team is our shared escape.

Unfortunately, Arsenal and some other Premier League teams have a sordid secret: They are one step removed from human rights abuses unfolding in Africa.

The “Emirates: Fly Better” slogan emblazoned on the front of Arsenal’s jersey promotes the state-owned airline in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE regularly utilizes partnerships with athletic teams and leagues to “sportswash” their connection to human rights abuses. Most blatantly, the UAE reportedly provides arms and other support to the Rapid Support Forces, a militia responsible for widespread atrocities in Sudan’s brutal civil war — a relationship unaddressed by Arsenal and denied by Abu Dhabi.

The UAE royal family’s investment in soccer is not limited to Britain. They own teams across Europe, and New York City FC is primarily owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a deputy prime minister and member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, through his holding company. Beyond soccer, the UAE’s extensive commercial branding deal with the National Basketball Association is drawing increased pressure from human rights organizations.

Sportswashing, whether for domestic consumption or international reputation buffing, is not new. The Roman Empire relied on gladiatorial combat and chariot races. Twentieth century dictatorships hosted the Olympics and World Cups. Modern authoritarian states have learned the same lesson: Sports can distract from repression and war.

Alongside “Fly Emirates,” Arsenal’s jersey features another troubling partnership: the “Visit Rwanda” sleeve sponsorship. Rwanda is often cited as a miraculous post-genocide turnaround story. After the devastation of 1994, the government oversaw a dramatic rebound through disciplined investments, little tolerance for corruption and commitment to public services. In that context, it’s understandable why Arsenal accepted Rwanda’s money.

But there is a darker side to this story. Rwanda’s economic success has been underwritten in part by raw materials acquired through repeated incursions into neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 1996, Rwanda has invaded Congo multiple times, initially to pursue those responsible for the 1994 genocide, but increasingly to loot gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten. Its most recent invasion has led to one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in eastern Congo.