281:(CEP) is a reputable organization with offices in Germany, New York and London. In 2021 it published a report on efforts in East Africa to fight extremism, crime, corruption, and illegal trade. The report said Ayabatwa played a central role in the illegal trade in tobacco in the region, and the trade funded extremist groups. The CEP report repeated the UN Group of Experts 2008 allegation, but not the dismissal of the charges.
274:. He said that Museveni tried to convince him to sell his businesses in Uganda to reduce tensions with Rwanda, but not to feel pressured. Rukugiro said that he would try to find a buyer, but had not succeeded before he died. Uganda refused to extradite Ayabatwa to Rwanda, which is said to have contributed to the breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two countries that lasted from February 2019 to January 2022.
228:. This was later found to be incorrect and the case was closed. Before leaving Rwanda in 2010, Ayabatwa was fighting charges of tax evasion in South Africa and the United Kingdom. He is said to have asked the Rwandan government to protect him in these cases, but was refused. In 2008 he was arrested in the United Kingdom for tax fraud in South Africa, and pleaded guilty.
252:
By 2013 Ayabatwa was head of a group of seven companies that employed 26,000 people making cement, tea, plastic shoes, beer, snack foods and cigarettes. The PTG was operating in ten countries and trading in 27 African and Middle
Eastern countries, with annual revenues in excess of $ 250 million.
236:
After leaving Rwanda in 2010, Ayabatwa divided his time between South Africa and Dubai. After his departure the
Rwandan authorities accused him of financing rebel groups who wanted to overthrow Kagama, and with tax evasion and other crimes. From exile, he spoke in favour of Rwandan opposition groups
139:
When he was 19 Ayabatwa moved to
Burundi to escape the political upheavals in Rwanda. He got work at the Post Office in Burundi as a clerk and typist. In his three years working there he learned French. Although he had supportative supervisors and did well, he did not see a future in the Post Office
143:
He then took work with a petroleum storage company, followed by unsuccessful attempts to earn money as a baker and a gold trader. When he was 29 he started to import wheat, flour, salt and cigarettes from
Tanzania, and succeeded in maintaining imports despite violence along the Tanzanian border. By
262:
In 2017 authorities in Rwanda declared
Ayabatwa's assets in the country were "abandoned properties", which allowed them to be auctioned or taken over. That year, the government sold the Union Trade Center (UTC) mall for $ 6.8 million. Ayabatwa told the East African Court of Justice that the
175:. He was charged with aiding the previous government, and his businesses were nationalized. He escaped from prison in 1990 and fled to South Africa. His family followed him to South Africa, where he set up his corporate headquarters. Later the government of Burundi restored his property, intact.
191:
The Pan
African Tobacco Group (PTG), which manufactures Supermatch cigarettes, expanded until it was manufacturing and operating in Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Ayabatwa bought large areas of land in the northwestern
249:, both of whom were exiled in South Africa. In 2011 the Rwandan police seized eight heavy trucks owned by the PTC's subsidiary of the eastern DRC, the Congo Tobacco Company. They claimed that the trucks were being used for "terror activities" organized by Nyamwasa and Karegeya.
94:
and left the country. Kagame accused him of funding rebel groups and of economic crimes, and tried to get him extradited from Uganda, leading to a rift between the two countries. The government seized and sold his property in Rwanda. Ayabatwa died in April 2024 in
123:, and he and many other children would be invited to the palace to entertain the king. His mother died when he was 12 years old. When he was 16, in the eighth grade, he was expelled from school. He blamed the colonial administration for this, saying they favored
187:
party. He helped establish the
Rwandan Chamber of Commerce, and was its first chairman. He was chairman of the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency, and was co-chairman of a task force that spearheaded many economic reforms in Rwanda.
304:
In a 2019 telephone interview with New Vision of Uganda, Ayabatwa said he had been told that he was born in the early 1940s. Different sources give his age when he died in 2024 as 82 or 83. Based on this, he would have been born around
201:
in Uganda, Vision
Tobacco in Dubai, Barco Trading in Angola, Burundi Tobacco Company in Burundi, Leaf Tobacco & Commodities in Nigeria, the Congo Tobacco Company, Mastermind Tobacco Company in Tanzania and Arkan Leaf in Angola.
253:
Ayabatwa had homes in South Africa and Dubai. In
January 2013 he relinquished operational control of the Pan African Tobacco Group to his son, Paul Nkwaya Ayabatwa. He remained chairman of Pan African Tobacco. He was featured in a
196:
of Uganda, where his
Meridian Tobacco Company's subsidiary, the Leaf Tobacco Company, employed thousands of people growing tobacco. PTG became the largest tobacco company in Africa. As of 2013 the PTG subsidiaries included
259:
article in 2014, which called him the richest tobacco manufacturer and trader in Africa. He set up the Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa Foundation (TRA), a charity, which funds youth training.
144:
1974 cigarettes were becoming his main import. In 1978 Ayabatwa decided to use his profits to manufacture cigarettes in Burundi rather than importing them. In the 1980s the
314:
Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa's Christian name was Tribert, and his middle name was Rufugiro. His father's name was Ayabatwa. However, sources often refer to him as Rujugiro.
734:
213:
around 2008, the only cement manufacturer in Burundi. An agreement signed on 3 April 2008 gave the company tax and customs advantages. The factory was built on land in
263:
property was worth $ 20 million. The court agreed the takeover and auction were illegal. The EACJ awarded him $ 1 million in damages in August 2022.
626:
183:
In 1995 Ayabatwa returned to Rwanda, where he lived for 15 years. He became economic advisor to the President Kagame, and assisted in the finances of the
859:
905:
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to supply wood to the ovens used to dry tobacco, but did not undertake reforestation. He next founded an enterprise in neighboring
209:
that opened in 2006. It held 81 shops, restaurants and other businesses. Ayabatwa owned 97% of the property. Ayabatwa founded the
768:
266:
Rwanda tried to persuade the Ugandan government to close the PTG's Meridian Tobacco Company subsidiary, which had operations in
716:
225:
157:
288:, United Arab Emirates. His family said he was watching a movie with a grandson at his home after dinner when he died.
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In 2008 a United Nations security report said he was one of the people funding the war in the east of the
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90:, the largest tobacco company in Africa. In his later years he fell out with Rwandan President
661:
246:
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119:. His family was relatively poor. Ayabatwa said that his home was near the palace of King
754:
Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa’s Business and Philanthropic Legacy Will Outlive His Detractors
205:
Ayabatwa's Kigali Investment Company (KIC) owned the Union Trade Center (UTC), a mall in
108:
32:
879:
164:
645:"The Formidable Life And Death Of Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa, The Charitable Tycoon"
806:"Le ministère en charge du commerce refuse la revue à la hausse du prix de ciment"
788:"Rwandan tycoon Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa at centre of 2019 border closure dies"
91:
140:
since the newly independent country favoured Burundians to Rwandan immigrants.
340:
338:
336:
334:
332:
330:
86:– 16 April 2024) was a Rwandan entrepreneur, best known as the founder of the
172:
769:"BUCECO : le calvaire de la population environnante de l'entreprise"
627:"Tribert Rujugiro: Exiled Rwandan accused of terrorism financing is dead"
214:
517:
505:
699:"Who Was Tribert Ayabatwa Rujugiro? Rwandan Tycoon Passes On Aged 83"
206:
735:"Meet The Richest Tobacco Man In Africa, Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa"
285:
160:. These became the basis for the Pan African Tobacco Group (PTG).
153:
128:
116:
96:
50:
344:
267:
124:
717:"Rwandan Tobacco Billionaire Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa is Dead"
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550:
861:
Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa: Record Production at Burundi Cement
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609:"Exiled Rwandan industrialist Tribert Rujugiro dies at 82"
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270:, Uganda. In 2018 Ayabatwa met with Ugandan President
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and the former Rwandan head of intelligence, Colonel
66:
58:
39:
25:
18:
556:
148:(BTC) started to clear large areas of forest in
450:
427:
824:"Pan African Tobacco Group founder to retire"
590:
8:
518:Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa: Record Production
842:"Récoltes : Kirundo aux anges, mais …"
506:Pan African Tobacco Group founder to retire
402:
241:(RNC). The Rwandans linked him to General
15:
481:
804:Nisubire, Jean Claude (7 January 2022),
529:
493:
373:
864:, Burundi Cement Company, 15 March 2013
326:
297:
680:"I cannot fight Kagama, says Rujugiro"
575:
541:
107:Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa was born in
7:
345:I cannot fight Kagama, says Rujugiro
786:Naturinda, Nelson (20 April 2024),
607:Bishumba, Richard (17 April 2024),
733:Mfonobong Nsehe (1 January 2014),
643:D'Sassa, Equiano (17 April 2024),
284:Ayabatwa died on 16 April 2024 in
199:Leaf Tobacco & Commodities (U)
14:
751:Mfonobong Nsehe (4 August 2021),
463:RĂ©coltes : Kirundo aux anges
767:Misago, Jeremie (1 March 2021),
697:Kagire, Edmund (17 April 2024),
906:Businesspeople in manufacturing
625:Canary Mugume (17 April 2024),
171:and Ayabatwa was imprisoned in
115:, in the early 1940s. He was a
896:Manufacturing company founders
1:
80:
226:Democratic Republic of Congo
158:Democratic Republic of Congo
901:Rwandan business executives
113:Southern Province of Rwanda
922:
715:Kim Aine (17 April 2024),
103:Early years (c. 1941–1960)
279:Counter Extremism Project
88:Pan African Tobacco Group
77:Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa
20:Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa
239:Rwanda National Congress
99:, United Arab Emirates.
848:(in French), 5 May 2013
219:Burundi Tobacco Company
185:Rwandan Patriotic Front
146:Burundi Tobacco Company
792:The East African Times
662:"How Sars bust Lifman"
232:Last years (2010–2024)
211:Burundi Cement Company
135:Burundi (c. 1960–1990)
53:, United Arab Emirates
179:Rwanda (c. 1995–2010)
613:The New Times Rwanda
557:How Sars bust Lifman
451:Mfonobong Nsehe 2021
428:Mfonobong Nsehe 2014
217:that had housed the
194:West Nile sub-region
169:Jean-Baptiste Bagaza
121:Mutara III Rudahigwa
684:New Vision (Uganda)
591:Canary Mugume 2024
163:In 1987 President
167:ovethrew Colonel
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47:(aged 82–83)
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830:, 7 January 2013
828:Tobacco Reporter
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243:Kayumba Nyamwasa
150:Kirundo Province
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530:Nisubire 2022
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866:, retrieved
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850:, retrieved
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832:, retrieved
827:
814:, retrieved
810:Le Renouveau
809:
795:, retrieved
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758:, retrieved
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742:, retrieved
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724:, retrieved
721:Chimpreports
720:
706:, retrieved
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403:D'Sassa 2024
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237:such as the
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76:
75:
70:Entrepreneur
45:(2024-04-16)
891:1941 births
886:2024 deaths
812:(in French)
775:(in French)
576:Kagire 2024
542:Misago 2021
92:Paul Kagame
84: 1941
59:Nationality
880:Categories
868:2024-09-19
852:2024-06-08
834:2024-06-28
816:2024-09-19
797:2024-06-27
779:2024-09-19
760:2024-06-28
744:2024-06-29
726:2024-06-27
708:2024-06-27
690:2024-06-28
672:2024-06-28
654:2024-06-27
636:2024-06-27
618:2024-06-27
322:References
156:, now the
67:Occupation
631:Nile Post
173:Bujumbura
111:, in the
703:KT Press
215:Cibitoke
600:Sources
62:Rwandan
29:c. 1941
666:News24
207:Kigali
129:Tutsis
109:Nyanza
846:IWACU
773:Iwacu
305:1941.
292:Notes
286:Dubai
154:Zaire
127:over
125:Hutus
117:Tutsi
97:Dubai
51:Dubai
277:The
268:Arua
40:Died
26:Born
882::
844:,
826:,
808:,
790:,
771:,
737:,
719:,
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682:,
664:,
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629:,
611:,
583:^
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329:^
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81:c.
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79:(
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