Thu Feb 06 07:41:47 UTC 2025: ## US to Boycott G20 Talks in South Africa Amidst Land Reform Dispute
**JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (February 6, 2025)** – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he will boycott the upcoming G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, citing South Africa’s “anti-American agenda” and its land reform policies. This follows President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of South Africa’s efforts to redress historical land inequalities stemming from apartheid.
Rubio, echoing Trump’s rhetoric, accused South Africa of “expropriating private property” and using the G20 to promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)” and climate change initiatives – policies Trump has repeatedly attacked. He stated his intention is to advance American interests and not “coddle anti-Americanism.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected Trump’s accusations of land confiscation and offered to explain the government’s land reform policy. He also recently spoke with Elon Musk to address concerns about disinformation spread by the U.S. President.
The U.S. absence from the G20 meeting, scheduled for February 20-21, would be a significant blow to the international forum. The missed opportunity also includes a potential first meeting between Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, at a time when Trump is pushing for diplomacy regarding the Ukraine war. The land ownership issue remains highly contentious in South Africa, with most farmland still held by white people despite the end of apartheid three decades ago.
First Piper 