France Bars South Africa from G7, Ramaphosa Withdraws "US Pressure" Claim | Firstpost Africa
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A diplomatic rift has deepened between Pretoria and Washington following news that South Africa has been uninvited from the upcoming G7 summit in France this June. Initial reports from South African officials alleged that President Donald Trump pressured Paris to rescind the invitation, threatening a US boycott if President Cyril Ramaphosa attended. While Ramaphosa later downplayed the "snub," and France insisted the decision to invite Kenya instead was merely to "streamline" the event. However, the timing highlights fractured US-South Africa relations. Tensions have hit a historic low over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel and Trump’s vocal criticism of Pretoria’s domestic policies, including black empowerment laws and land reform. This friction follows a string of diplomatic clashes, including Trump’s boycott of the G20 in Johannesburg and the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to the US last year.
