US to Skip G20 Talks Over South Africa's 'Anti-America' Agenda

Photo : AFP

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he will not go to the G20 talks in South Africa this month. He accused the South African government of having an "anti-American" plan. This came two days after US President Donald Trump criticized South Africa for its land reforms, which are meant to fix problems from the apartheid era.

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Rubio posted about it on social media, saying he would not attend the G20 talks on February 20-21 in Johannesburg. He criticized South Africa for taking land from private owners and using the G20 meeting to talk about “solidarity, equality, and sustainability.” Rubio said these were just code words for promoting ideas like diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and climate change, things that Trump has criticized a lot since coming back to office.

Rubio said that his job is to focus on America’s interests, not waste taxpayer money or support ideas he calls "anti-American."

Earlier in the week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denied Trump’s claims about the land issue. He said he was ready to explain the land reform policy to the US president. Ramaphosa also talked to Elon Musk, a strong supporter of Trump, about "misinformation" being spread about the issue.

In South Africa, land ownership is a big issue. Even after 30 years since apartheid ended, most of the land is still owned by white people. The government is under pressure to change this.

If Rubio does not attend, it would be a big loss for the G20 talks because the United States is the world’s largest economy. The meeting could have been an important chance for Rubio to meet with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as Trump tries to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.