• The U.S. boycotts the Johannesburg G20 Summit, accusing South Africa of persecuting its white minority.
• South Africa leads the adoption of a joint declaration on climate, debt and global solidarity without U.S. input.
• Washington denounces an “instrumentalisation” of the G20 presidency, while Pretoria insists consensus remains intact.

The first African presidency of the G20 exposed a deep fissure in the U.S. role within the group as South Africa held its line in Johannesburg. For once, Washington did not set the pace.

“This G20 does not revolve around the United States,” South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said. “We are all equal members of the G20. Those present have decided the direction the world must take.”

In Johannesburg, where the G20 met for the first time on African soil, South Africa faced an unprecedented U.S. boycott. The Trump administration announced that no American representative would attend, citing largely debunked claims of persecution against the white minority in South Africa. Pretoria viewed the allegation as a political manoeuvre.

Despite the U.S. absence, leaders in Johannesburg adopted a joint declaration on climate, debt and international solidarity. They drafted the document without any U.S. contribution, a move Washington condemned as an “instrumentalisation” of South Africa’s presidency. The White House accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of refusing an “orderly transition” of the rotating presidency after he floated the idea of symbolically handing leadership to an “empty chair.”

From Washington, Trump vowed to “restore legitimacy” to the group when the U.S. assumes the presidency in 2026, framing Johannesburg as an illegitimate diplomatic interlude.

Ramaphosa maintained his position in the face of criticism. He said there was “sufficient” consensus to adopt the declaration, even though Argentina under Javier Milei—an ideological ally of Trump—left negotiations at the last minute. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Argentina “cannot support the declaration” but “remains fully committed to the spirit of cooperation that defines the G20.” He argued that the document inadequately addressed certain geopolitical issues, especially the Israel–Palestine conflict, which he said the text “does not fully reflect.”

South African spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Argentina participated “very constructively” but did not attend the final meeting to approve the text. “We consider the consensus sufficient,” he said.

The final declaration endorsed positions Washington now rejects outright: acknowledgment of the severity of climate change, support for renewable energy, and a call to ease the debt burden on vulnerable countries. These are themes the U.S. administration aims to exclude from multilateral debate.

Tensions also rose over protocol. Pretoria refused to transfer the G20 presidency to a low-ranking American chargé d’affaires, calling the gesture inconsistent with established norms and the dignity of the event. South Africa said it would appoint a diplomat of equivalent rank for the formal handover at the Foreign Ministry.

In Johannesburg, Ramaphosa urged leaders to “let nothing diminish the value and impact of the first African presidency of the G20” at a summit marked by major-power divisions on issues ranging from the war in Ukraine to economic competition between China, the U.S. and the EU. Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for unity, saying diverging interests and weak global cooperation remained major obstacles. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned against “the instrumentalisation of dependencies,” referring to Chinese restrictions on rare metals essential for energy, digital and military transitions.

This article was initially published in French by Fiacre E. Kakpo

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum