African dictator funded by UK aid gives favourite club Arsenal £30million
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has agreed a major sponsorship deal in the wake of Arsene Wenger's exit
AN African despot backed by millions in UK aid has agreed a major sponsorship deal with his favourite club Arsenal.
Fan Paul Kagame, 60, is paying £30million over three years for players to wear armbands urging tourists to visit impoverished Rwanda.
Yet last year the republic received £64million from Britain for poverty relief and infrastructure projects.
President Kagame agreed the deal after celebrating boss Arsene Wenger’s exit.
Kagame, once pictured with ex-captain Tony Adams, tweeted: “It was long coming.”
Terrorists were fans
ARSENAL have attracted a string of controversial followers over the years.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was a regular at the team’s old Highbury stadium in the early 90s, and bought his son a shirt in the club shop.
Khuram Butt, whose gang killed seven in the London Bridge terror attack a year ago, had an Arsenal shirt on when police shot him dead.
Other fans have included gangland enforcer “Mad” Frankie Fraser, Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs and Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
MP Andrew Bridgen said taxpayers would be shocked that a country getting UK cash “is pumping millions into a fabulously rich football club”.
He said: “If this isn’t a perfect own goal for foreign aid, I don’t know what is.”
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The Department for International Development said helping Rwanda stand on its own was value for money for taxpayers.
Arsenal said it carefully considered the deal before signing.
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