"DRC Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya said the return of South Kivu's governor and provincial authorities to Uvira will depend on the establishment of a 'solid security perimeter' by the army and police, warning that the city remains vulnerable to infiltration despite the withdrawal of 'hostile' forces. "It is not enough to simply say they are withdrawing," Muyaya said at a press briefing in Uvira on Tuesday following an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa in Kinshasa. "The city cannot be defended from within Uvira alone; we must ensure that in the surrounding regions and radiuses, there is no presence of Rwandan forces or their auxiliaries," he added. Muyaya also reported that around 12,000 children have not yet been reunited with their families as a result of the recent fighting, with more than 260,000 Congolese refugees currently in Burundi waiting to return home. "There are cases that must be subject to legal proceedings or judicial sanctions to prevent the recurrence of acts repeatedly witnessed in Uvira in the past,: the minister stated. Muyaya praised the Banyamulenge for rejecting the Rwandan and M23 'instrumentalization,' urging all communities, including the Babembe, Bavira, and Bafuliro, to maintain social cohesion. "In Uvira, more than 1,500 deaths and over 300,000 displaced persons have been recorded," he said. "It is essential that we all ensure none of our communities are trapped by the enemy's schemes." Fighting has continued in the eastern region of the DRC, despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States and an economic deal between the two countries. The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the M23, a rebel group, but Kigali has repeatedly denied this."