US President Announces G20 Boycott
US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will not participate in the upcoming G20 summit scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month.
The decision stems from claims made by President Trump regarding the alleged persecution of white people in South Africa. The G20 summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the world's largest economies.
In response to the announcement, South Africa's foreign ministry expressed regret over the White House's decision. South African political parties, including those representing Afrikaners and the white community, have not supported claims of a genocide in the country.
Trump's Justification
On his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump stated that Afrikaners are being subjected to killings and slaughter, and that their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. He further asserted that no US government official would attend the summit as long as these alleged human rights abuses continue. Earlier statements indicated a possibility of Vice-President JD Vance attending in his stead, but the current stance is that no US official will be present.
South African Response
The G20 summit rotates its host nation annually, with each country setting the agenda. The US is scheduled to host the summit after South Africa.
South Africa's foreign ministry issued a statement clarifying that the characterization of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is "ahistorical." The ministry also stated that claims of the community facing persecution are "not substantiated by fact."
Since January, President Trump has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white minority. In May, he discussed these concerns with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office. The Trump administration previously granted refugee status to Afrikaners, citing an ongoing "genocide" in South Africa. Last week, the White House announced plans to cap refugee admissions at a record low and prioritize white South Africans.
The South African government has consistently dismissed the claims of a white genocide, labeling them as "widely discredited and unsupported by reliable evidence." They also noted the "limited uptake" of the refugee offer by South Africans. A South African court further dismissed these claims as "clearly imagined" in February.