Activists Protest Arsenal F.C.’s Sponsorship Amid Sudan Crisis

UK activists, concerned about the UAE’s involvement in Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, protested outside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, urging the football club to end its sponsorship deal with Emirates Airlines. Their statement highlighted severe violence in El Gezira and accusations against the UAE of supplying arms to paramilitary groups. They argue that Arsenal’s partnership links the club to these atrocities and call on fans to advocate for accountability.

Protestors from the organizations London For Sudan and Action For Sudan convened outside the Emirates Stadium during the recent Arsenal match against Liverpool, imploring Arsenal F.C. to terminate its sponsorship agreement with Emirates Airlines. This appeal is rooted in allegations surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) involvement in the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan. In a joint statement released, the two groups expressed their grave concern regarding the escalating violence in El Gezira, which has intensified following the defection of rapid paramilitary leader Abu Agla Keikil and several troops to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). “In just 48 hours, over 500 men have been killed in a single village, and at least 37 cases of rape have been reported around Rufaa in Sudan’s El Gezira state. Tragically, some 130 Sudanese women are believed to have taken their own lives to avoid RSF violence,” the statement articulated. Local inhabitants in El Gezira have alerted authorities and observers to threats of severe reprisals from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fostering a climate of fear regarding potential cycles of revenge and intensified civil uprising. The activists accuse the UAE of perpetuating the conflict by allegedly supplying arms to the RSF, a claim that has garnered widespread agreement from various stakeholders, including Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, El Harith Idriss Mohamed, who explicitly accused the UAE during a Security Council meeting in April. The UAE, however, has categorically dismissed these accusations as unfounded and devoid of substantive evidence. In light of the continued humanitarian crisis, the protestors argue that the UAE, which owns Emirates Airlines, is profiting economically from the ongoing violence by gaining access to Sudan’s rich resources in exchange for its support of the RSF. They assert that Arsenal’s ongoing association with Emirates Airlines inadvertently links the football club to these grave atrocities, stating, “Arsenal’s continued partnership with Emirates Airlines implicitly links the club to these atrocities.” The demonstrators are calling on Arsenal supporters and the public at large to stand in solidarity with Sudan by signing petitions and urging the football club to reconsider its sponsorship arrangement with Emirates. They beseech fans to “take a stand for Sudan” and demand accountability from Arsenal F.C. Ultimately, the activists aim to raise awareness of the dire situation in Sudan while showing that sports sponsorships carry significant ethical implications, especially when tied to humanitarian crises.

The topic of sports sponsorship has increasingly come under scrutiny, particularly when associated with entities that are believed to contribute to humanitarian crises. In recent years, the phenomenon of ‘sportswashing’—where countries or organizations use sports to improve their global image despite involvement in controversial activities—has gained traction in discussions around international sports events and sponsorships. The situation in Sudan is further complicated by the involvement of international actors, particularly the UAE, purportedly arming local paramilitary forces amidst escalating violence, raising important questions about corporate ethics and social responsibility within the realm of professional sports.

The protest at Arsenal F.C. signifies the growing intersection of sports, ethics, and global humanitarian issues. Activists are fervently challenging the relationships that sporting entities maintain with stakeholders implicated in severe human rights violations. In light of the dramatic rise in violence in Sudan and the uncertain role of the UAE in fueling this tragedy, the call from London For Sudan and Action For Sudan urges both public and private institutions to reflect critically on their partnerships, advocating for a more ethically conscious approach to corporate sponsorships in the sports sector.

Original Source: www.dabangasudan.org