South Africa said Thursday it had been excluded from the June G7 summit in France after initially receiving an invitation, triggering diplomatic confusion and competing explanations.
Pretoria first suggested pressure from Washington led Paris to withdraw the invitation, reflecting strained relations between South Africa and the United States in recent years.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said officials were informed the United States threatened to boycott the summit if South Africa participated alongside leading industrialised nations.
Hours later, President Cyril Ramaphosa contradicted that account, saying information available to him indicated no country had applied pressure regarding South Africa’s attendance.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot rejected allegations of foreign pressure, saying France instead chose a streamlined guest list and invited Kenya to support preparations for an Africa summit.
A US State Department official also denied involvement, stating Washington never requested that France exclude South Africa from the gathering of major global economies.
Tensions between Washington and Pretoria have deepened over disputes including South Africa’s genocide case against Israel and criticism from President Donald Trump over racial policies.
Trump repeatedly accused South Africa of persecuting white Afrikaners, imposed steep tariffs on exports, and skipped a G20 summit hosted in Johannesburg last November.
The tariffs, set at 30 percent on most South African goods, were later overturned by the US Supreme Court, though political friction between both governments persisted.
Washington has also criticised South Africa’s racial justice programmes aimed at correcting inequalities rooted in colonialism and apartheid, calling them discriminatory against white citizens.
France previously invited Ramaphosa during the Johannesburg G20 summit, where leaders sought broader cooperation with emerging economies beyond the traditional G7 membership.
Despite the diplomatic setback, Pretoria said relations with France remain strong and emphasised its commitment to constructive engagement with the United States.
South Africa is meanwhile preparing to appoint a new ambassador to Washington after disputes surrounding diplomatic remarks further strained already fragile bilateral ties.