(Washington, D.C.) The next G20 summit will be held in Miami, Florida next year, and U.S. President Trump has instructed that South Africa, the current chair, will not be invited to participate.
The 20th G20 Leaders' Summit, held last Saturday (November 22), passed a summit declaration with overwhelming consensus despite a U.S. boycott, drawing criticism from the White House that South Africa was using its rotating chair as a "weapon."
On Wednesday (November 26), Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform: "South Africa refused to hand over the G20 chair to the senior representative of the U.S. Embassy in South Africa who attended the closing ceremony. Therefore, I have instructed that South Africa will not be invited to the G20 summit to be held in Miami, Florida next year."
Trump also announced that the U.S. government will immediately cease all aid and subsidies to South Africa.
Relations between the U.S. and South Africa have remained tense this year. In February, Trump signed an executive order cutting financial aid to South Africa, citing U.S. disapproval of South Africa's land policies and South Africa's lawsuit against U.S. ally Israel for genocide in the International Court of Justice.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's office responded on Wednesday, saying Trump's remarks were "regrettable."
In a statement, Ramaphosa explained that, as the US delegation chose not to attend the G20 summit last week, the relevant documents for the G20 presidency had been, as required, transferred to US embassy officials through the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
The statement indicated that the South African government had made significant efforts and attempts to restore diplomatic relations with the United States, "but Trump continues to impose punitive measures on South Africa based on misinformation and distortions."
