US-South Africa Relations Continue to Worsen
Trump: "Will Not Attend Due to White Massacres"
South Africa: "Summit Will Succeed Even Without His Visit"
As relations between the United States and South Africa deteriorate, there is growing speculation that President Donald Trump may not attend the Group of Twenty (G20) summit scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22-23. However, the South African government has asserted that the event will be successful even if President Trump does not attend. According to Yonhap News Agency, on the 30th (local time), Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the South African presidential office, stated, "If President Trump does not visit South Africa, it will be a missed opportunity for him," but added, "Nevertheless, the G20 summit will proceed successfully."
US President Donald Trump is meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington D.C. on May 21. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Spokesperson Magwenya said, "We are working to prepare an agreed summit declaration. The United States has already expressed opposition to some of this year's G20 topics in advance, and we have accepted that the United States may be excluded from the declaration," adding, "The majority of heads of state and government leaders are expected to attend, and therefore, this summit will be successful."
Previously, on the 29th of last month, when asked by reporters about his plans to attend the G20 summit, President Trump replied, "I will probably send someone else," explaining, "because there have been many problems with South Africa." He further stated, "They have very bad policies, and many people are being killed," and added, "So I probably won't attend. I would like to attend, but I will not go." In April, he also expressed his intention not to participate, saying, "Land expropriation and genocide are key topics of discussion. How can I attend a G20 meeting held in South Africa?"
Since President Trump took office, relations between the United States and South Africa have steadily worsened. Through social media and other channels, President Trump has argued that "South Africa's land expropriation law to address historical inequalities is a policy of discrimination against whites," and that "white South African farmers are being persecuted and killed." He subsequently issued an executive order to suspend aid to South Africa and, in March, designated the South African ambassador to the United States as persona non grata and expelled him, escalating the situation to its worst state.
In May, during a visit to the White House aimed at resolving the conflict, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was confronted by President Trump, who raised allegations of "mass killings of white farmers" in South Africa and demanded an explanation. At the time, a video was shown to publicly embarrass President Ramaphosa, but it was later revealed that the footage had been filmed in Goma, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and was unrelated to South Africa.
This year, the United States has criticized the G20's themes of "solidarity, equality, and sustainability" as "anti-Americanism," and is reducing its participation in G20 events. Some analysts suggest that President Trump's characteristic focus on national interests and disregard for multilateral frameworks is leading to the United States' neglect of the G20.
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