The State Department’s presentation sparked a major uproar among attendees.
On Thursday, the U.S. government apologized for using a map of Africa in which several countries were incorrectly positioned.
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“We take full responsibility for the confusion and misinformation this caused among attendees, including our African partners,” a State Department spokesperson told reporters.
The incident occurred this week during one of the presentations at the 26th International AIDS Conference, being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 26 to 31.
U.S. representatives projected a map of Africa highlighting investment opportunities that incorrectly depicted Nigeria as a landlocked country, placed Mozambique in the Horn of Africa, and located Ivory Coast in the southwestern part of the continent.
US state department faces scrutiny after Africa map errors goes viral
The U.S. Department of State has taken full responsibility for a diplomatic scandal caused by the display of an incorrect map of Africa at the AIDS 2026 international conference in Rio de Janeiro.
It was… pic.twitter.com/aTO9iy8RvE
— Context 360 (@NewsContext360) July 30, 2026
The presentation sparked a major uproar among attendees, who photographed the slide and shared the images on social media.
“This was an unfortunate mistake caused by a team member who hurriedly modified the presentation just before the 2026 AIDS Conference,” the State Department spokesperson said, adding that President Donald Trump’s administration is “pleased” by the attendance of high-level delegations from several African countries, whose participation was “substantial and constructive.”
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is fighting HIV and has committed more than US$24 billion in new funding for health programs.
The foreign aid cuts promoted last year by the Trump administration raised concerns among humanitarian organizations around the world, particularly over their potential impact on HIV prevention and treatment programs in Africa.
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Source: EFE
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