WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has announced that no U.S. officials will attend the G20 summit in South Africa later this month, citing false claims about the systematic persecution of white farmers in the country.
The decision marks an escalation in diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria, with Trump reviving long-debunked allegations of a “white genocide” targeting Afrikaners, descendants of South Africa’s first European settlers.
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue.”
Trump had previously announced in September that Vice President JD Vance would represent the United States at the November 22-23 summit, but has now withdrawn all American participation entirely.
The South African foreign ministry quickly condemned Trump’s statements as “regrettable,” defending the country’s record on human rights and racial reconciliation.
“The characterisation of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is ahistorical,” the ministry said in a statement. “Furthermore, the claim that this community faces persecution is not substantiated by fact.”
South Africa has chosen “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” as the theme for its G20 presidency, positioning itself as a leader in post-apartheid reconciliation efforts.
“Drawing on our own journey from racial and ethnic division to democracy,...
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