Trump Excludes South Africa from 2026 G20 Summit Over Alleged Farm Attacks

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that South Africa will be barred from attending the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, citing allegations of human rights violations against white farmers in the country. In a detailed statement posted on social media platform X, Trump accused the South African government of turning a blind eye to what he described as systematic violence against descendants of European settlers.
The controversy stems from the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Johannesburg last weekend, which the United States notably boycotted. Trump claimed that South Africa’s government has been complicit in attacks on Afrikaners and other white farming communities, alleging that “they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them.” The President specifically referenced descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers as victims of these purported abuses.
The summit proceedings saw participation from numerous world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but conspicuously lacked any American delegation. Trump further escalated tensions by alleging that South African officials refused to properly hand over the G20 Presidency symbols to a US Embassy representative who attended the closing ceremony. This procedural dispute became another justification for the exclusion decision.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the announcement by calling the decision “regrettable,” while emphasizing his government’s ongoing efforts to maintain positive diplomatic relations with Washington. The South African Presidency issued a clarification regarding the handover controversy, stating that since no official US delegation attended the summit, the instruments of G20 presidency were appropriately transferred to an embassy official at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation headquarters.
Trump’s assertions about persecution of white minorities and alleged genocide of white farmers in South Africa echo claims he has made repeatedly throughout his political career. However, these allegations have been consistently rejected and discredited by both the South African government and prominent white community leaders within the country. The 2026 G20 Summit is scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida, and will proceed without South African participation under the current directive.