The Congolese Conflict was a military conflict between China the a group of allied forces backing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The prolonged affair is often referred to as "China's Vietnam" and some scholars believe would have led to World War III had it not been diffused.

The conflict began over controversies surrounding the construction of a space elevator in the Congo that exacerbated pre-existing geopolitical tensions and a rising tide of new African nationalism.

When space elevators were beginning their initial construction, it was common practice for the countries bankrolling the project to put the elevators in developing countries so as not to stoke NIMBYism within their own population. The building of the elevators were massive projects that involved lots of construction debris and mass disruptions. The largest proponent of this practice was China. They would loan nations Futures to build the elevators, but would then buy the elevators and surrounding territory back after they were built if the loan payments were late. The developing countries would, as an incentive, get an economic boost from having a galactic trading route and the job creation that came with the construction and the continued operation of it. India had publicly spoken out against the practice, but lacked the financial ability on the level of China to make better offers.

China's plan was thwarted though by the fact that these countries, due to their sudden increase in wealth, were actually able to meet their payment deadlines. To combat this, China rigged the system, calling in loans and creating new accelerated timetables. The DRC was able to meet the timetable, but the Chinese felt that the payment was only made because the DRC received an undisclosed loan from India. Because of this suspicion and an undisclosed loan from another country breaching the terms and conditions, China declared the payment void. The elevator, and a third of the DRC’s capital city of Kinshasa, were declared Chinese territory. The DRC denied any of the accusations and considered the payment received in full. They did not recognize China's claim to the elevator nor to any Congolese territory.

The conflict began with the Lukungu Massacre. When Chinese soldiers moved in to secure the elevator they were ambushed in what became known by Congolese forces. The violence quickly escalated as China poured more troops into the city, but with both sides wanting to keep the elevator safe, China held back from a massive bombing campaign. China accused India of supporting the Congolese “terrorists”, while India stated they only had “military observers” in the DRC. It is generally accepted that the Indian Armed Forces were in fact providing support for the Congolese forces.

As the fighting continued, Pan-Africanists saw this as a pivotal moment to push their ideology. It was well known that China was not well-liked throughout the continent, especially in Paradesian West Africa, but countries were reluctant to support the DRC and face the potential wrath of an immense Chinese army. Akosua Knkrumah, then the vice-president of Ghana, gave what came to be known as the "United or Blown Apart" speech in a general address to all African nations. In the speech she praised the cause of the DRC, rallied support from fellow African nations, and compared China as a disaster on the level of the Colossus Storms. This was seen as a turning point in the conflict and is seen as the primary reason why a Pan-African corps was established to support military operations in the DRC. The speech also helped make China look like the villain on the global stage. The generally tightly controlled nation saw mass civilian opposition for the first time in decades in opposition to the conflict. After five years of occupation and on-and-off skirmishes, the conflict ended with a Chinese withdrawal.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, the Western African Union was formed dedicated to increasing collaboration and living standards across the continent, while minimizing foreign control. It also established a permanent Pan-African reserve corps and a newly ratified trade agreement between the nations. India’s behind-the-scenes help of the rebels made it an ally of the Western African Union and the two groups have united in an aggressive expansion in space. The Moon Council is dominated by both Western African and Indian interests.

The lasting effects of the conflict are still being felt and determined. Despite the importance it had on the Pan-Africanist movement, many experts still view the conflict as ultimately a proxy war between China and India. Given the increased condemnations of Chinese actions from around the globe, some scholars believed that had China not withdrawn when it did World War III would have eventually broken out because of it. As it stands, likelihood of a third World War is still heightened. China sees India’s action in the DRC as proof of their deceitful character, and moral inferiority for hiding behind African soldiers, while India uses the conflict as proof of China’s desire to dominate and refusal to play by any rules but their own. This has led to increased border skirmishes between the two nations, and the threat of another proxy war is rising.