GOMA, Congo (AP) — A peace agreement between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group remains uncertain just days before a negotiation deadline expires, Congo’s government spokesman said Monday as fighting continued in the country’s troubled east.

The rebel group, which is believed to be backed by neighboring Rwanda, overran the eastern city of Goma last November in a humiliating blow to both the Congolese army and the international peacekeepers stationed there, who stood by as the rebels marched in. The columns of fighters retreated weeks later under intense international pressure, warning they would retake the city if Congo failed to meet their demands.