US, South Africa rift deepens as France withdraws Ramaphosa’s G7 invite

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was reportedly disinvited from the upcoming G7 summit in France due to pressure from the United States.

According to South Africa’s presidency, France withdrew its invitation after the U.S. government, led by Donald Trump, threatened to boycott the meeting if South Africa attended.

The summit is expected to take place in Evian, France, in June.

A spokesperson for the South African president, Vincent Magwenya, said the decision followed months of tension between the U.S. and South Africa. He explained that the U.S. had raised several concerns, including trade issues and South Africa’s internal policies.

Relations between the two countries have been strained for some time. President Trump previously imposed high tariffs on South African exports and criticised the country’s racial policies, which are aimed at correcting inequalities caused by apartheid.

The U.S. 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 said it remains committed to maintaining good relations with the United States.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron had earlier invited Ramaphosa during a G20 meeting held in South Africa. However, the invitation was later withdrawn.

South Africa’s presidency added that this development would not affect its strong relationship with France and that diplomatic ties with the U.S. would continue beyond the current administration.