US criticized over Ethiopia economic ranking

The United States is facing backlash after it incorrectly described Ethiopia as “Africa’s second-largest economy” in a social media post, praising the partnership between the two countries.

The US Department of State Bureau of African Affairs said in a post on August 24 that the “partnership will lead to more U.S. investment, and greater returns for Americans and Ethiopians in Africa’s second-largest economy.”

Social media users quickly criticised the labelling, with some saying the information was misleading and others suggesting it showed that US officials lack adequate knowledge about the continent.

According to the International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook data, Ethiopia has the ninth-largest economy in Africa, based on GDP. South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria represent Africa’s three largest economies, according to the global lender.

The latest blunder comes weeks after the US mislabelled every country on a map of Africa during a presentation at a major global conference in Brazil, sparking widespread criticism. The map, shown at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, placed Nigeria in the Sahara Desert and relocated Mozambique and Ivory Coast to the wrong parts of the continent.

The State Department apologised for the map error, saying a staff member had hastily altered the slide deck before the event. A Reuters analysis found the map contained an artificial intelligence watermark.

SOURCE: MRA