South Africa said it was “regrettable” that US President Donald Trump had decided not to send any officials to this month’s G20 summit in Johannesburg over his persistent false claims about Pretoria’s supposed persecution of Afrikaners.
On Friday, Trump said it was a “total disgrace” that South Africa was hosting the gathering — the first time the G20 will be held on the continent — and that no American official would attend over what he said were “human rights abuses.” He earlier clashed with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office over the US leader’s allegations of “white genocide” in the country, claims that have been widely debunked. While Trump was not expected to attend the event, his vice president and secretary of state were supposed to.
Trump has stepped up his criticism of African governance in recent months: Last week he threatened Nigeria with military action over alleged Christian persecution in the country’s northern regions. Abuja has been scrambling to shore up its diplomatic presence in Washington, while senior Republicans have urged Trump to prioritize the US economy over foreign policy.