The United States has faced criticism after incorrectly describing Ethiopia as Africa’s second-largest economy while promoting bilateral relations under the Trump administration’s “America First” foreign policy.
In a social media post on Monday, 24 August, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs said the partnership would attract more US investment and deliver greater returns for Americans and Ethiopian. Social media users challenged the claim, describing it as misleading and questioning US officials’ understanding of Africa.
According to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook data, Ethiopia is Africa’s ninth-largest economy by gross domestic product. South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria are ranked as the continent’s three largest economies.
The error came weeks after the US reportedly mislabelled several African countries on a map displayed during a major global conference in Brazil, prompting widespread criticism.