Kigali — Rwandan-South African telecom tycoon Miko Alexis Rwayitare died yesterday in a Brussels clinic after an intestinal operation, RNA has established.

From different friends and officials contacted in Kigali, RNA has learnt that Mr. Miko - as he is hugely know among all sections of Rwandan society died after bleeding non-stop.

"Information I have managed to get from Belgium indicates that he bled profusely after an intestinal operation and later died", Mzee Servillien Sebasoni said. "However, I do not have so much detail at the moment."

Born in the Belgian Congo, Mr. Rwayitare, 65, has a chain of investments in South Africa that prospect in oil, communication, broadband firms and real estate.

He has made a fortune as telecommunications entrepreneur since he developed the biggest cellphone company in Africa, Telecel, which now conducts business in 14 countries.

Mr. Rwayitare created Telecel in 1986 when he convinced the Zairian government to let him bring to trial a cellular system in Zaire. Up until his death, he was serving as Telecel's President & Executive Chairman.

Telecel holds more than fifteen licenses and approximately 40 % of the sub-Saharan cellular market (excluding South Africa). Before his involvement in the IT business, Mr. Rwayitare worked for Gecamines, the Zairian mining company.

Prior to that, Mr. Rwayitare developed the computer maker Hewlett-Packard and accessories firm Xerox presence in Africa when he was granted their distribution rights, along with those of several other brands.

Mr. Rwayitare is also the owner of Mont Rochelle Winery, making him the first black person in South Africa to wholly own a wine farm. He bought the 82-acre Mont Rochelle vineyard in the premier Western Cape.

To lay foot in Rwanda, Mr. Miko established MIKCOR Hotel Holding which now controls a series of property in Kigali including up-hill Hotel des Mille Collines from bought from SABENA Hotels for U.S.$3.2million (approx. Frw1.8billion) in 2005.

He has also been attached to GV telecom that controversially tried to take over Rwandatel in a share-swap with Terracom but government blocked the deal. According to various accounts, Mr. Miko Rwayitare on several occasions tried to acquire Rwandatel in vain. 70% of the firm is now up for grabs as 6 major telecom players await results of their bids.

Mr. Miko held an engineering degree from Karlsrushe University in Germany.