Visit Rwanda deal does not 'match ethics' of PSG - Mulumbu

Former DR Congo captain Youssouf Mulumbu is calling on Paris St-Germain to reconsider its partnership with Visit Rwanda as he attempts to raise awareness of the conflict and humanitarian crisis in his homeland which has left people "living in fear".

M23 rebels, reportedly backed by Rwanda, have seized the vital frontier city of Goma and vast tracts of land in the mineral-rich east of DR Congo while latest figures from the United Nations suggest approximately 700,000 people have been forced from their homes this year.

Rwanda has been accused by a group of UN experts of not only backing the M23 but also of materially benefitting from the mineral wealth that is being smuggled into the country.

Rwanda has denied this and said that it is only interested in shoring up its border.

The battle for control of Goma cost some 3,000 lives and led to rights violations committed by both sides, a UN official has said.

"The situation is very, very hard and very painful, and all this conflict is based on finance," Mulumbu told Newsday on the BBC World Service.

"It's not a religious or territory war. It's a financial war and people need to know that.

"I received lots of message from friends who are living in Goma. They just tell me they're living in fear.

"There are kids living without their parents, women being raped and burnt in jail. The situation over there is unbelievable."

Metals such as tantalum, which is essential for the efficient functioning of a smartphone, are extracted from some of the key mining areas now under the control of the M23.

Mulumbu travelled to Goma a month ago, before the fighting there intensified, and friends of his have been affected by the conflict.

"My friend welcomed me in the city. During this fight, he tried to escape and he lost his wife. It's just sad," the 38-year-old said.

"I have no words to describe what is going on. It's very hard for me, because I live away and I feel sometimes I'm useless.

"It's been 30 years that Congo has been living in this situation and all we want is peace."

Earlier this month DR Congo's foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner wrote to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, calling on the club to end its "blood stained" deal with Visit Rwanda that began in 2019.

Similar letters were also sent to Arsenal and Bayern Munich, questioning the morality of their partnerships with Rwanda's tourism board.

Yolande Makolo, a spokesperson for the Rwandan government, said: "Rwanda's sports partnerships and the Visit Rwanda campaign brings so much joy to Rwandans along with jobs, more tourists and revenue."

Last week Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen told DW that the club had sent two employees to Rwanda to monitor the situation and was in contact with the German foreign ministry.

Arsenal and PSG have not responded to requests for comment.

"I want to thank the minister, because she did very big work," former West Brom midfielder Mulumbu said.

"And all I know is that on a sponsorship, there is a financial part.

"We are going to do our best to inform [about] this deal and what's behind it. I think it will be a big step if we can cancel this Visit Rwanda [partnership]."

Mulumbu began his career at PSG and made 22 first-team appearances for the club before moving to West Brom in 2009.

"I've been through the academy of PSG. They [taught] me about the value of the sport, unity, about ethics," he said.

"It doesn't match with this Visit Rwanda [deal]."

Mulumbu is backing a petition started by PSG fans which is calling on the Ligue 1 champions to end the partnership, and is then hoping to secure his own meeting with Al-Khelaifi.

The petition is aiming to gather 100,000 signatures and as of 12:00 GMT on Wednesday it had 68,500 signatories.

"I want to have a meeting, maybe with some people who can [make] a decision, and then we will inform them of this partnership and what's going on in DR Congo," Mulumbu said.

"I don't want to put pressure on the club, because they are not the people who are doing it, but they need to be informed and then after that they will take their own decision.

"This is why we fighting and speaking up."