Ramaphosa Slams US Boycott Ahead of First-Ever African G20 Summit in South Africa

Ramaphosa Slams US Boycott Ahead of First-Ever African G20 Summit in South Africa

Johannesburg — President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday criticized the United States for its boycott of the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, saying no nation should be allowed to bully another. The summit, taking place November 22-23 in Johannesburg, will host around 40 countries and mark the first time the G20 summit is held on African soil.

Ramaphosa made the remarks during a curtain-raiser event with civil society groups, emphasizing that a country’s geography, income, or military power should not determine its voice on the global stage.

“It cannot be that a country’s geographical location or income or army determines who has a voice and who is spoken down to,” he said, adding: “It basically means there should be no bullying of one nation by another.”

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Tensions between South Africa and the United States have escalated this year over multiple foreign and domestic policy differences. The US embassy confirmed it would not attend the summit, citing that Pretoria’s G20 priorities “run counter to US policy views” and stating it could not support consensus on any documents negotiated under South Africa’s presidency.

In response, South Africa affirmed it would move forward with a leaders’ declaration regardless of the US absence. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said: “We will not be told by anyone who is absent that we cannot adopt a declaration or make any decisions at the summit. If we do not end up with a declaration, it will not be on the basis that someone who is absent told us.”

South Africa is hosting the G20 summit under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”. The agenda emphasizes strengthening disaster resilience, improving debt sustainability for low-income countries, financing a just energy transition, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development.

The G20, comprising 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union, accounts for 85 percent of global GDP and around two-thirds of the world’s population.

Ramaphosa Slams US Boycott Ahead of First-Ever African G20 Summit in South Africa