White House Suspends U.S. Work on G20 Summit in South Africa

The White House has directed U.S. agencies and departments to suspend preparations for the G20 summit scheduled in South Africa later this year, following President Donald Trump's threats to boycott the event. Trump's administration has accused the South African government of discriminating against white South Africans, particularly Afrikaner farmers, through a contentious land expropriation policy, which Washington claims amounts to racial persecution or even genocide. This stance has led to the suspension of U.S. foreign assistance to South Africa and the granting of refugee status to some Afrikaners, in contrast with the administration's broader immigration policies. South African officials, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, have rejected these accusations, emphasizing that no evidence supports claims of genocide or persecution, and describing the U.S. position as a misunderstanding of South Africa's efforts to address historical racial inequalities. The suspension resolves internal uncertainty within the U.S. government regarding participation in the summit, which aims to address global financial and sustainability issues. The G20 event, themed "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," is set for November in Johannesburg, but the U.S. absence marks a significant diplomatic rift between the two countries.