US Expels South Africa's Ambassador Amid Tensions

The United States has declared South Africa's ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata, citing his alleged hostility towards President Trump, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the expulsion on social media. This marks a significant deterioration in US-South Africa relations, exacerbated by Trump's suspension of aid to South Africa in February due to a controversial land reform law that he claims discriminates against white landowners. Rasool has reportedly struggled to secure meetings with State Department officials since Trump's administration began, and his prior criticism of Israeli policies may have contributed to his isolation in Washington. While Trump has accused the South African government of targeting Afrikaner farmers, Pretoria insists that the new land law is not racially motivated. The South African government is under pressure to address historical land ownership disparities, with white citizens owning a disproportionate amount of farmland three decades after apartheid. Relations between the two nations have been strained further by differing stances on international issues, including Israel.