The US formally warned South Africa against pushing for a joint statement at this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg that the Trump administration is boycotting, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.
The diplomatic standoff is particularly awkward given that it’s the first time the continent is hosting a G20 and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is passing the baton to US President Donald Trump at the end of this year.
Tensions between the two men came to a head at an Oval Office meeting in May, when Ramaphosa had to endure a dressing down in front of the cameras.
Trump escalated the spat further by saying he wouldn’t attend the summit, and followed up with a complete boycott of the event.
The US openly opposes South Africa’s G20 presidency and its core agenda of solidarity, equality and sustainability – part of Ramaphosa’s push for a more inclusive world order.
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