The evacuees were transported by National Air Force aircraft and landed in Luanda in the early hours of Monday.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where fierce fighting raged as Kigali-backed fighters closed in on the major city of Goma.

French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Angolan President Joao Lourenço for a two-day state visit starting Thursday to strengthen political, cultural, and economic ties.

Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals.

Rwanda has confirmed the presence of oil in Lake Kivu, bordering Uganda and DR Congo. The country said there is a possibility of finding more wells in the region.

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council originally set for Monday, has been moved up to Sunday due to an escalation in the fighting.

Angola urged on Tuesday, Jan 21, in New York, the members of the United Nations Security Council to maintain firm support for the Luanda Process that aims to ease political tension between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda in order to achieve peace in the region.

An armed group backed by Rwandan troops took control of the airport in the besieged DR Congo city of Goma on Tuesday, a security source said, dealing a major blow

A conflict that has raged for decades reached a flashpoint this week when rebels backed by Rwanda marched on a key Congolese city in a bid to occupy territory and exploit minerals.

The United Nations, African Union and East African Community condemned the capture of the city, putting Rwanda in the spotlight.

An armed group backed by Rwandan troops took control of the airport in the besieged DR Congo city of Goma on Tuesday, a security source said, dealing a major blow to Congolese forces and putting the eastern regional capital on the brink of falling .