The United States has announced it will not send any government officials to the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in South Africa later this month, citing concerns over alleged human rights violations.
President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social that “Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated.”
He added, “No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue,” and expressed plans to host the 2026 G20 summit in Miami, Florida.
Vice President JD Vance, originally expected to attend the summit in Johannesburg on November 22-23, has withdrawn, according to sources.
The move follows tensions over South Africa’s land reform policies, which aim to address apartheid-era inequalities but have faced international criticism for alleged illegal land seizures and violence against minority farmers.
South Africa’s recent accusation that Israel committed genocide in Gaza has also deepened diplomatic rifts with the U.S., which supports Israel.
Last month, Trump set the lowest cap on U.S. refugee admissions ever, prioritising white Afrikaners. South Africa’s foreign ministry called Trump’s statements “regrettable” and said claims of Afrikaner persecution are not supported by facts.
The ministry highlighted the country’s experience in dealing with racial divisions, expressing confidence in hosting a successful G20 summit.
This is not the first diplomatic dispute at G20 events between the two nations, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously boycotting a foreign ministers’ meeting held in South Africa. The U.S. will take over the G20 presidency after South Africa’s term ends in November 2025.