JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A U.S. Embassy representative will attend the formal handover ceremony following the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend, but the White House confirmed that Washington will not engage in any discussions.
The official, who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on public comments, addressed remarks made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who suggested that the U.S. had signaled a “change of mind” regarding its participation at the “11th hour.”
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that no government official from the U.S. would participate in the two-day meeting involving world leaders from both developed and developing nations in South Africa’s largest city. Trump cited concerns over alleged violence against white Afrikaner farmers in South Africa as the basis for the U.S. boycott, a claim that has been widely criticized.
The U.S. is set to take over the G20’s rotating presidency from South Africa, with a formal handover ceremony customary at the conclusion of each summit. Ramaphosa previously expressed disappointment that the U.S. would be represented by an “empty chair” during this ceremony.
On Thursday, Ramaphosa welcomed U.S. involvement in Africa’s inaugural G20 summit “in one shape or form or another,” characterizing the communication from Washington as a “pleasing” shift from the U.S., which is the world’s largest economy. “The United States is a member of the G20, they are an original member of the G20, so they have the right to be here,” Ramaphosa stated, emphasizing the practicality of U.S. participation.
Despite the boycott, Ramaphosa insisted earlier that the G20 meeting would produce a joint declaration, notwithstanding U.S. pressure against issuing one. A South African G20 official indicated that the U.S. had diplomatically communicated that no declaration should be adopted at the summit due to their absence, asserting that consensus would be unattainable without U.S. representation.
In lieu of a formal declaration, the U.S. preferred a more restrained statement from South Africa to conclude the summit, which has resulted from over 120 preparatory meetings since the country assumed the G20 presidency this year. Ramaphosa expressed confidence in achieving a declaration, noting, “The talks are going extremely well. I’m confident we are moving towards a declaration, and they are now just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s,” while maintaining that South Africa would not be bullied into compliance.
Leaders from other participating nations expressed hopes for a collective statement emerging from the summit, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledging that while joint decisions are desired, their certainty remains in question.
Trump has consistently targeted South Africa with criticism since he returned to office. He held a tense meeting with Ramaphosa at the White House in May, confronting the leader with unfounded allegations of widespread violence against Afrikaners. Trump has reiterated claims suggesting that Ramaphosa’s government is enacting anti-white policies.
The G20 includes 19 countries, comprising both affluent and major developing economies, alongside the European Union and African Union, with the goal of fostering collaborative solutions to global challenges. South Africa, as the first African nation to hold the rotating presidency, aims to use the summit to advance issues impacting poorer countries, including climate change, debt relief, and addressing global wealth inequality.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa met Ramaphosa on Thursday in Johannesburg to express support for South Africa’s agenda.
Previously, the U.S. has dismissed South Africa’s priorities for the G20, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipping a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in February over disagreements on the focus on diversity, equity, and climate change.
Other key leaders, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, are not attending the summit, although they have sent delegations. Xolisa Mabhongo, a South African ambassador to the G20, remarked on the situation, stating, “The only country that is not in the room is the United States, and, of course, it is their choice not to be in the room.”
Michelle L. Price reported from Washington. Follow AP’s coverage of the G20 summit in South Africa at https://apnews.com/hub/g20-summit.
