Africa knows who its true friends are – and they’re not in Washington

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.

Whether it is feuding with regional powers such as South Africa, intervening in their domestic affairs, or remaining largely silent on humanitarian crises, the US approach usually prioritises strategic utility over genuine partnership.

This pattern echoed throughout the Cold War era. Washington’s support for many brutal and corrupt regimes was often dictated by narrow geopolitical interests rather than the aspirations of African citizens, and this continues to this day.

Contrast this with the recent history of China’s engagement. The results are visible in the roads, railways, ports and telecommunications infrastructure that are reshaping African economies. In Nigeria, struggling farmers are benefiting from a high-yield rice strain called Gawal R1. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Beijing has provided rapid medical aid to contain an Ebola outbreak.