Background
She was born in Byumba and studied sociology, going on to work in rural development.
She was born in Byumba and studied sociology, going on to work in rural development.
Considered a "moderate" Hutu, she was forced to flee to Kivu in Zaire. Umutesi settled in Belgium in 1998. She wrote an account of her experiences in Fuir ou mourir au Zaire.
Le vécu d"une réfugiée Rwandaise (English title: Surviving the Slaughter: The Ordeal of a Rwandan Refugee in Zaire).
In 2006, she wrote the article Is Reconciliation between Hutus and Tutsis Possible? for the Journal of International Affairs.
In 1996, the refugee camps were attacked by the Rwandan Patriotic Front and she was forced to flee again.