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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was not invited to the upcoming G7 summit in France, reportedly due to pressure from the United States.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was not invited to the upcoming G7 summit in France, reportedly due to pressure from the United States.
According to the South African presidency, France withdrew its invitation after the Donald Trump-led US government threatened to boycott the meeting if South Africa attended.
The summit is expected to take place in Evian, France in June.
A spokesman for South African President Vincent Mgwenya said the decision came after months of tension between the US and South Africa. He said the US had raised a number of concerns, including trade issues and South Africa's internal policies.
Relations between the two countries have been tense for some time. President Trump previously imposed high tariffs on South African exports and criticized the country's racial policies, which aim to correct inequalities caused by apartheid.
The US government also disagreed with South Africa's decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice over allegations of genocide in Gaza.
Despite these disagreements, the South African government stated that it was committed to maintaining good relations with the United States.
French President Emmanuel Macron had earlier invited Ramaphosa during the G20 meeting held in South Africa. However, the invitation was later withdrawn.
South Africa's president said the development would not affect its strong ties with France and that diplomatic relations with the US would continue beyond the current administration.