[1] Historically, Angola has been closely involved in Congolese politics, taking part in the 1997 war to oust Mobutu Sese Seko from power.

Since the end of the conflict, the Angolan government remained an ally of President Joseph Kabila and supported him militarily.

However, Angola's focus on stability in the DRC, compared to Kabila's attempts to remain in power and postponement of elections since the end of his term in December 2016, leading to mass protests, have led to a cooling in relations between the two countries.

In 2012, Human Rights Watch reported upon the "degrading and inhuman treatment", including sexual violence, of Congolese migrants during state-sanctioned expulsions.

About 30,000 Congolese refugees fleeing from violence in the Kasaï-Central region of the DRC due to the Kamwina Nsapu rebellion that began in August 2016 entered Angola.