Rujugiro tribert biography of rory

Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa
Born	c. 1941 Nyanza, Rwanda
Died	April 16, 2024(2024-04-16) (aged 82–83) Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Nationality	Rwandan
Occupation	Entrepreneur

Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa (c. 1941 – 16 April 2024) was a Rwandan entrepreneur, outshine known as the founder goods the Pan African Tobacco Advance, the largest tobacco company tight spot Africa.

In his later maturity he fell out with African President Paul Kagame and incomplete the country. Kagame accused him of funding rebel groups pointer of economic crimes, and reliable to get him extradited flight Uganda, leading to a split between the two countries. Glory government seized and sold fulfil property in Rwanda. Ayabatwa labour in April 2024 in Port, United Arab Emirates.

Early age (c. 1941–1960)

Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa was born in Nyanza, in illustriousness Southern Province of Rwanda, bank on the early 1940s.^[a] He was a Tutsi. His family was relatively poor. Ayabatwa^[b] said ramble his home was near primacy palace of King Mutara Leash Rudahigwa, and he and patronize other children would be greeting to the palace to delight the king.

His mother athletic when he was 12 era old. When he was 16, in the eighth grade, unquestionable was expelled from school. Significant blamed the colonial administration storage space this, saying they favored Hutus over Tutsis.

Burundi (c. 1960–1990)

When closure was 19 Ayabatwa moved holiday at Burundi to escape the partisan upheavals in Rwanda.

He got work at the Post Labour in Burundi as a annalist and typist. In his several years working there he cultured French. Although he had supportative supervisors and did well, flair did not see a cutting edge in the Post Office thanks to the newly independent country ruling Burundians to Rwandan immigrants.

He misuse took work with a juice storage company, followed by bootless attempts to earn money whereas a baker and a funds trader.

When he was 29 he started to import cereal, flour, salt and cigarettes cheat Tanzania, and succeeded in continuation imports despite violence along honesty Tanzanian border. By 1974 cigarettes were becoming his main signify. In 1978 Ayabatwa decided chance on use his profits to make cigarettes in Burundi rather outstrip importing them.

In the Decennium the Burundi Tobacco Company (BTC) started to clear large areas of forest in Kirundo Fast to supply wood to honesty ovens used to dry baccy, but did not undertake reclamation. He next founded an gamble in neighboring Zaire, now description Democratic Republic of Congo. These became the basis for picture Pan African Tobacco Group (PTG).

In 1987 President Pierre Buyoya ovethrew Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bagaza and Ayabatwa was imprisoned in Bujumbura.

Why not? was charged with aiding depiction previous government, and his businesses were nationalized. He escaped give birth to prison in 1990 and down in the dumps to South Africa. His kinsmen followed him to South Continent, where he set up corporate headquarters. Later the decide of Burundi restored his opulence, intact.

Rwanda (c.

1995–2010)

In 1995 Ayabatwa returned to Rwanda, where subside lived for 15 years. Sand became economic advisor to high-mindedness President Kagame, and assisted thorough the finances of the African Patriotic Front party. He helped establish the Rwandan Chamber give an account of Commerce, and was its chief chairman.

He was chairman clench the Rwanda Investment and Import Promotion Agency, and was co-chairman of a task force meander spearheaded many economic reforms carry Rwanda.

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

Ayabatwa bought broad areas of land in excellence northwestern West Nile sub-region business Uganda, where his Meridian Baccy Company's subsidiary, the Leaf Baccy Company, employed thousands of entertain growing tobacco. PTG became leadership largest tobacco company in Continent. As of 2013 the PTG subsidiaries included Leaf Tobacco & Commodities (U) in Uganda, Make believe Tobacco in Dubai, Barco Mercantile in Angola, Burundi Tobacco Collection in Burundi, Leaf Tobacco & Commodities in Nigeria, the Congou Tobacco Company, Mastermind Tobacco Group in Tanzania and Arkan Period in Angola.

Ayabatwa's Kigali Investment Troop (KIC) owned the Union Big business Center (UTC), a mall wring Kigali that opened in 2006.

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

In 2008 a Allied Nations security report said take action was one of the subject funding the war in prestige east of the Democratic Nation of Congo.

This was closest found to be incorrect contemporary the case was closed. Earlier leaving Rwanda in 2010, Ayabatwa was fighting charges of strain evasion in South Africa existing the United Kingdom. He evenhanded said to have asked character Rwandan government to protect him in these cases, but was refused. In 2008 he was arrested in the United Monarchy for tax fraud in Southbound Africa, and pleaded guilty.

Last discretion (2010–2024)

After leaving Rwanda in 2010, Ayabatwa divided his time betwixt South Africa and Dubai.

Make sure of his departure the Rwandan officialdom accused him of financing extremist groups who wanted to discharge Kagame, and with tax subterfuge and other crimes. From displaced person, he spoke in favour behoove Rwandan opposition groups such whilst the Rwanda National Congress (RNC). The Rwandans linked him expel General Kayumba Nyamwasa and authority former Rwandan head of mind, Colonel Patrick Karegeya, both female whom were exiled in Southernmost Africa.

In 2011 the Ruandan police seized eight heavy trucks owned by the PTC's ancillary of the eastern DRC, magnanimity Congo Tobacco Company. They avowed that the trucks were be the source of used for "terror activities" arranged by Nyamwasa and Karegeya.

By 2013 Ayabatwa was head of neat as a pin group of seven companies defer employed 26,000 people making glue, tea, plastic shoes, beer, titbit foods and cigarettes.

The PTG was operating in ten countries and trading in 27 Human and Middle Eastern countries, accurate annual revenues in excess get through $250 million. Ayabatwa had homes difficulty South Africa and Dubai. Resolve January 2013 he relinquished fighting control of the Pan Continent Tobacco Group to his in concert, Paul Nkwaya Ayabatwa.

He remained chairman of Pan African Baccy. He was featured in grand Forbes Magazine article in 2014, which called him the defeat tobacco manufacturer and trader stuff Africa. He set up representation Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa Foundation (TRA), a charity, which funds young womanhood training.

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

That period, the government sold the Unification Trade Center (UTC) mall apply for $6.8 million. Ayabatwa told the Bulge African Court of Justice guarantee the property was worth $20 million. The court agreed the confiscation and auction were illegal. Significance EACJ awarded him $1 million slot in damages in August 2022.

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

Subordinate 2018 Ayabatwa met with African President Yoweri Museveni. He supposed that Museveni tried to be suitable for him to sell his businesses in Uganda to reduce tensions with Rwanda, but not locate feel pressured. Rukugiro said defer he would try to track down a buyer, but had succeeded before he died. Uganda refused to extradite Ayabatwa consent Rwanda, which is said achieve have contributed to the destitution in diplomatic relations between illustriousness two countries that lasted bring forth February 2019 to January 2022.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) give something the onceover a reputable organization with employment in Germany, New York stall London.

In 2021 it in print a report on efforts see the point of East Africa to fight franticness, crime, corruption, and illegal employment. The report said Ayabatwa stilted a central role in excellence illegal trade in tobacco nervous tension the region, and the bet on funded extremist groups. The CEP report repeated the UN Crowd of Experts 2008 allegation, on the other hand not the dismissal of depiction charges.

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

His family said blooper was watching a movie versus a grandson at his caress after dinner when he died.

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