South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s invitation to the upcoming G7 summit in Evian, France, has been withdrawn due to significant pressure from the United States, the South African presidency announced on Thursday.
This development follows months of diplomatic strain between South Africa and the administration of US President Donald Trump, encompassing various issues from trade disputes to disagreements on racial policies.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, confirmed the withdrawal to AFP, stating, “We’ve learnt that due to sustained pressure, France has had to withdraw its invitation to South Africa to attend the G7 meeting.” He further elaborated, “We are told that the Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited.”
The Trump administration has had a contentious relationship with the South African government. This has included imposing high tariffs on South African exports, with a 30-percent levy applied last year—the highest for any sub-Saharan African nation. Although the US Supreme Court has since overturned Trump’s tariff policy, the economic impact was notable. President Trump also publicly criticized Ramaphosa in the Oval Office over unsubstantiated claims of “white genocide” in South Africa and boycotted a G20 summit held in Johannesburg in November.
Furthermore, the US president has voiced strong disapproval of South Africa’s racial justice policies, which are designed to address historical inequalities stemming from colonial rule and apartheid. Trump has characterized these policies as discriminatory against white citizens.
Recent tensions also include the Trump administration’s opposition to South Africa’s decision to bring US ally Israel before the International Court of Justice, alleging genocide in its military campaign in Gaza.
Pretoria recalled that French President Emmanuel Macron had personally extended the invitation to President Ramaphosa during the G20 summit in South Africa. The Group of Seven industrialized nations frequently extends invitations to other countries to broaden the scope of its discussions.
Despite these diplomatic challenges, the South African presidency affirmed that the incident would not negatively impact its strong bilateral relationship with France. The spokesperson also reiterated South Africa’s commitment to constructive engagement with the United States, emphasizing that “The diplomatic relationship between USA and South Africa predate the Trump administration and they will outlive the current White House term of office.”
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