KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Peace talks between the Congolese government and rebels believed to be backed by Rwanda have reached a standstill and could fail if regional governments deploy a neutral international force in eastern Congo, a lawyer for the M23 rebel movement said Thursday.

The government and M23 rebels are reviewing the terms of a March 23, 2009 agreement that the rebels accuse Congo’s government of failing to honor. In November the rebels took the eastern city of Goma before withdrawing under international pressure. The rebellion forced thousands of villagers in Congo’s North Kivu province to flee their homes.