South African President Cyril Ramaphosa learned this week that he is no longer welcome at the G7 summit hosted by France in June. Initially invited by President Emmanuel Macron in person during the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa has been effectively disinvited under circumstances that raise serious diplomatic concerns.
The South African Version: Washington Applied Pressure
The South African Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, stated that his government had been informed the United States threatened to boycott the G7 if Pretoria were invited. “We have been told that the Americans threatened to defect if South Africa was invited,” he told the AFP news agency.
If accurate, this statement fits into a broader pattern of escalating tensions between Pretoria and Washington. President Donald Trump has already imposed 30 percent tariffs on South African exports — the highest for any sub-Saharan African country — and has repeatedly targeted the country racial justice policies, accusing the government of “persecuting” Afrikaners.
The French and American Version: No Pressure Applied
Hours after Pretoria statement, the Élysée Palace denied any American pressure. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot explained that France had opted for a “lightweight” G7 format, inviting only a handful of countries including Kenya, in preparation for the France-Africa summit scheduled for May in Nairobi. The United States State Department also denied pressuring Paris.
President Ramaphosa himself tempered the rhetoric, stating he had received “no information” about any pressure from the United States or any other country.
A Growing Isolation
Despite these denials, the reality is that South Africa finds itself increasingly isolated on the international stage. A permanent member of the G20, the country was snubbed by Washington during the last G20 summit held in South Africa itself. Pretoria is also in open conflict with the United States over the International Court of Justice case, where South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza — a proceeding Washington fiercely opposes.
The Ramaphosa government has promised to remain “constructively engaged” with the United States, noting that diplomatic relations between the two countries “predate the Trump administration.” But temperatures between Pretoria and Washington show no signs of cooling.
Sources: France 24, AFP