Rwandan club Rayon Sports have announced the termination of Congolese player Heritier Luvumbu’s contract with the club for showing a gesture considered to be controversial during Premier League match.
Luvumbu was initially suspended for six months from all sporting activities in Rwanda after expressing his support for the populations of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a football match on Sunday.
The incident occurred during a match against Police FC where Luvumbu scored a spectacular goal before making a symbolic gesture by covering his mouth with one hand and pointing two fingers to the east to signify his concern about the escalating security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC.
Rayon reacted quickly by condemning the action of Luvumbu and emphasized on the importance of discipline on and off the field.
Rwandan social media community also expressed its outrage, with some calling for Luvumbu’s dismissal and expulsion from Rwanda.
On the Congolese side, internet users welcomed Luvumbu’s gesture, although no official reaction has been recorded from Kinshasa as at now.
The termination of Luvumbu’s contract marks a new stage in this controversy which mixes sport and politics, sparking contrasting reactions in Rwanda and the DRC.
Tension between the two nations has been rising in recent weeks with the DRC suspecting Rwanda to be in support of the M23 rebels in the ongoing violent clashes in the eastern region.
