South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been disinvited from attending the G7 summit in Evian, France, in June due to pressure from the United States, the South African presidency confirmed Thursday.
Vincent Magwenya, presidential spokesperson, told AFP that the French government withdrew the invitation after sustained US pressure. “We are told that the Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited,” he said.
The move comes after months of tensions between US President Donald Trump and South Africa over issues ranging from trade to race relations. Trump previously imposed 30-percent tariffs on most South African exports—the highest in sub-Saharan Africa—though the US Supreme Court later overturned the policy.
Relations have also been strained by Trump’s criticisms of South Africa’s racial justice policies, intended to address inequalities from colonialism and apartheid, and by disputes over South Africa taking Israel to the International Court of Justice for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron had initially invited Ramaphosa during the G20 summit in Johannesburg, as the G7 sometimes extends invitations to non-member countries.
Magwenya emphasized that the disinvitation would not affect South Africa’s strong relationship with France and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to constructive engagement with the United States. “The diplomatic relationship between the USA and South Africa predate the Trump administration and will outlive the current White House term of office,” he said.
Despite the setback, South Africa remains focused on maintaining robust bilateral ties with both nations while navigating the diplomatic fallout.
