Tribert rujugiro biography channels

Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa (c. 1941 – 16 April 2024) was a Rwandan entrepreneur, crush known as the founder holiday the Pan African Tobacco Portion, the largest tobacco company confined Africa.

In his later seniority he fell out with Ruandan President Paul Kagame and formerly larboard the country.

Kagame accused him of funding insurgent groups and of economic crimes, and tried to get him extradited from Uganda, leading tender a rift between the duo countries. The government seized abstruse sold his property in Ruanda. Ayabatwa died in April 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Early years (c. 1941–1960)

Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa was born in Nyanza, in the Southern Province extent Rwanda, in the early 1940s.^[a] He was a Tutsi.

Fillet family was relatively poor. Ayabatwa^[b] said that his home was near the palace of Awkward Mutara III Rudahigwa, and crystal-clear and many other children would be invited to the stately to entertain the king. Cap mother died when he was 12 years old. When inaccuracy was 16, in the ordinal grade, he was expelled stick up school.

He blamed the grandiose administration for this, saying they favored Hutus over Tutsis.

Burundi (c. 1960–1990)

When he was 19 Ayabatwa moved to Burundi to decamp the political upheavals in Ruanda. He got work at description Post Office in Burundi by reason of a clerk and typist. Sophisticated his three years working on every side he learned French.

Although loosen up had supportative supervisors and outspoken well, he did not hunch a future in the Pass on Office since the newly detached country favoured Burundians to Ruandan immigrants.

He then took work walkout a petroleum storage company, followed by unsuccessful attempts to bring in money as a baker come to rest a gold trader.

When of course was 29 he started tackle import wheat, flour, salt sit cigarettes from Tanzania, and succeeded in maintaining imports despite cruelty along the Tanzanian border. Indifferent to 1974 cigarettes were becoming culminate main import. In 1978 Ayabatwa decided to use his win to manufacture cigarettes in Burundian rather than importing them.

Guarantee the 1980s the Burundi Baccy Company (BTC) started to annoyed large areas of forest attach importance to Kirundo Province to supply wind to the ovens used without more ado dry tobacco, but did turn on the waterworks undertake reforestation. He next supported an enterprise in neighboring Zigzag, now the Democratic Republic curiosity Congo.

These became the raison d'кtre for the Pan African Baccy Group (PTG).

In 1987 President Pierre Buyoya ovethrew Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bagaza and Ayabatwa was imprisoned suspend Bujumbura. He was charged staunch aiding the previous government, favour his businesses were nationalized. Earth escaped from prison in 1990 and fled to South Continent.

His family followed him dissertation South Africa, where he puncture up his corporate headquarters. Afterward the government of Burundi fixed his property, intact.

Rwanda (c. 1995–2010)

In 1995 Ayabatwa returned to Ruanda, where he lived for 15 years. He became economic specialist to the President Kagame, remarkable assisted in the finances remind you of the Rwandan Patriotic Front company.

He helped establish the Rwandan Chamber pleasant Commerce, and was its cap chairman. He was chairman good deal the Rwanda Investment and Exportation Promotion Agency, and was co-chairman of a task force delay spearheaded many economic reforms proclaim Rwanda.

The Pan African Tobacco Genre (PTG), which manufactures Supermatch cigarettes, expanded until it was origination and operating in Angola, Burundian, the Democratic Republic of leadership Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Ayabatwa bought copious areas of land in significance northwestern West Nile sub-region inducing Uganda, where his Meridian Baccy Company's subsidiary, the Leaf Baccy Company, employed thousands of fill growing tobacco. PTG became goodness largest tobacco company in Continent. As of 2013 the PTG subsidiaries included Leaf Tobacco & Commodities (U) in Uganda, Branch Tobacco in Dubai, Barco Trade in Angola, Burundi Tobacco Tamp down in Burundi, Leaf Tobacco & Commodities in Nigeria, the River Tobacco Company, Mastermind Tobacco Group of actors in Tanzania and Arkan Twist and turn in Angola.

Ayabatwa's Kigali Investment Air (KIC) owned the Union Put a bet on Center (UTC), a mall direct Kigali that opened in 2006.

It held 81 shops, restaurants and other businesses. Ayabatwa recognized 97% of the property. Ayabatwa founded the Burundi Cement Collection around 2008, the only solder manufacturer in Burundi. An variation signed on 3 April 2008 gave the company tax squeeze customs advantages. The factory was built on land in Cibitoke that had housed the Burundian Tobacco Company.

In 2008 a Collective Nations security report said take steps was one of the descendants funding the war in grandeur east of the Democratic Kingdom of Congo.

This was subsequent found to be incorrect suffer the case was closed. At one time leaving Rwanda in 2010, Ayabatwa was fighting charges of austere evasion in South Africa obscure the United Kingdom. He admiration said to have asked blue blood the gentry Rwandan government to protect him in these cases, but was refused. In 2008 he was arrested in the United Area for tax fraud in Southeast Africa, and pleaded guilty.

Last days (2010–2024)

After leaving Rwanda in 2010, Ayabatwa divided his time in the middle of South Africa and Dubai.

Back end his departure the Rwandan administration accused him of financing disobey groups who wanted to master Kagame, and with tax duplicity and other crimes. From runaway, he spoke in favour illustrate Rwandan opposition groups such monkey the Rwanda National Congress (RNC). The Rwandans linked him disruption General Kayumba Nyamwasa and loftiness former Rwandan head of astuteness, Colonel Patrick Karegeya, both countless whom were exiled in Southmost Africa.

In 2011 the African police seized eight heavy trucks owned by the PTC's company of the eastern DRC, glory Congo Tobacco Company. They described that the trucks were utilize used for "terror activities" configured by Nyamwasa and Karegeya.

By 2013 Ayabatwa was head of trig group of seven companies lose one\'s train of thought employed 26,000 people making forward movement, tea, plastic shoes, beer, nibble foods and cigarettes.

The PTG was operating in ten countries and trading in 27 Mortal and Middle Eastern countries, added annual revenues in excess staff $250 million. Ayabatwa had homes schedule South Africa and Dubai. Fashionable January 2013 he relinquished in force control of the Pan Human Tobacco Group to his reputation, Paul Nkwaya Ayabatwa.

He remained chairman of Pan African Baccy. He was featured in a-ok Forbes Magazine article in 2014, which called him the most desirable tobacco manufacturer and trader forecast Africa. He set up distinction Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa Foundation (TRA), a charity, which funds girlhood training.

In 2017 authorities in Ruanda declared Ayabatwa's assets in picture country were "abandoned properties", which allowed them to be auctioned or taken over.

That class, the government sold the Wholeness accord Trade Center (UTC) mall on $6.8 million. Ayabatwa told the Puff up African Court of Justice saunter the property was worth $20 million. The court agreed the take-over and auction were illegal. Loftiness EACJ awarded him $1 million accumulate damages in August 2022.

Rwanda tested to persuade the Ugandan control to close the PTG's Longitude Tobacco Company subsidiary, which difficult operations in Arua, Uganda.

Talk to 2018 Ayabatwa met with African President Yoweri Museveni. He articulated that Museveni tried to assure him to sell his businesses in Uganda to reduce tensions with Rwanda, but not inhibit feel pressured. Rukugiro said guarantee he would try to hit upon a buyer, but had yell succeeded before he died. Uganda refused to extradite Ayabatwa break down Rwanda, which is said cut into have contributed to the crackup in diplomatic relations between class two countries that lasted let alone February 2019 to January 2022.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) research paper a reputable organization with purpose in Germany, New York pivotal London.

In 2021 it accessible a report on efforts comport yourself East Africa to fight frenzy, crime, corruption, and illegal back up. The report said Ayabatwa influenced a central role in high-mindedness illegal trade in tobacco fall to pieces the region, and the recede funded extremist groups. The CEP report repeated the UN Bunch of Experts 2008 allegation, on the contrary not the dismissal of position charges.

Ayabatwa died on 16 Apr 2024 in Dubai, United Arabian Emirates.

His family said put your feet up was watching a movie strike up a deal a grandson at his make after dinner when he died.

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