Trump announces US boycott of G20 Summit in South Africa

Washington: US President Donald Trump announced that no American government officials will attend this year’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa, accusing the host nation of mistreating its minority white farmers. “It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, claiming that the South African government has allowed “abuses” against Afrikaners, including violence, killings, and land seizures.

“Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!,” he added. Trump had previously said he would not personally attend the summit, which brings together leaders from the world’s largest and emerging economies.

Decision reflects rare diplomatic boycott

The decision represents a rare diplomatic boycott of a major global forum by the United States. It also underscores the Trump administration’s increasingly confrontational stance towards South Africa. The South African government has repeatedly rejected US accusations of discrimination, saying that white South Africans continue to have higher living standards than the Black majority population, decades after the end of apartheid.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously told Trump that reports of widespread persecution of white farmers were “completely false.” Trump’s latest comments follow remarks he made earlier this week at an economic event in Miami, where he said South Africa “should be thrown out of the G20.” “South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what’s happened there is bad,” he said. “I’m not going to represent our country there. It shouldn’t be there.”

Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, criticising the forum’s emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and climate change. South Africa currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20, with the United States set to assume the role next year. The Summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 22–23. Despite Washington’s absence, the summit is expected to go ahead as planned, with leaders focusing on global economic growth, energy transition, and development cooperation. 

(IANS)