South Africa Disinvited from G7 Summit Due to US Pressure

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been disinvited from the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, in June, following pressure from the United States that included a threat to boycott the event if South Africa participated, according to the South African presidency.

The withdrawal of the invitation, originally extended by French President Emmanuel Macron during the G20 summit in Johannesburg last November, comes amid ongoing tensions between Pretoria and Washington. Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for Ramaphosa, confirmed the development, stating that France could not risk the absence of a key G7 member. "We have learned that due to sustained pressure, France has had to withdraw its invitation to South Africa to attend the G7 meeting," Magwenya said. "We are told that the Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited."

The decision underscores a series of disputes that have strained relations between the two nations over the past year. The United States imposed 30 percent tariffs on most South African exports last year, the highest rate applied to any sub-Saharan African country, though the U.S. Supreme Court later overruled the policy. U.S....