The gaffe at last month’s Aids 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, where a US State Department presentation displayed a map of Africa with every country mislabelled, serves as more than a source of embarrassment. It was a potent symbol of the distance between Washington’s rhetoric and its real stance regarding the African continent.

Earlier this year, Nick Checker, a senior US State Department official, spoke of “resetting” US relations with Africa, pivoting away from dependency and towards mutually beneficial partnerships. Yet, as the mislabelled map suggests, the actual engagement often feels disconnected, chaotic and transactional.

Washington’s policies towards Africa have long been a study in contradiction. While American officials try to put the focus on what they call China’s debt traps, the US often pursues a policy defined by punitive tariffs, restrictive visa policies and selective interventions.