Dana Brown to represent US at G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg: According to a US Embassy spokeswoman, US Charge d’Affaires to South Africa Dana Brown is representing the US at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting is scheduled for February 20–21 in Johannesburg. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had already said on February 6 that he would not be attending the G20 Summit, citing, “South Africa is doing very bad things.”
“I will not attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg,” Rubio said in a post on X. South Africa is acting in a very negative manner. taking private property away. G20 is being used to advance “solidarity, equality & sustainability.” Stated differently, DEI and climate change. Instead of wasting government dollars or encouraging anti-American sentiment, it is my responsibility to further the interests of the United States.
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1887288685517021298
Beginning December 1, 2024, and ending in November 2025, South Africa served as the G20 Presidency. The G20 Presidency of South Africa is focused on the themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainability. According to the official announcement, the subject influences the high-level deliverables of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and directs the goals of the working groups in the finance and Sherpa tracks.
An international group including both rich and developing nations, the G20 aims to resolve global financial and economic problems. The G20 countries include the world’s largest economies, accounting for about 75% of worldwide commerce, 85% of global GDP, and over two-thirds of the world’s population.
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and two regional organizations—the European Union and the African Union—are among the 19 nations that make up the G20. There is no permanent secretariat or staff for the G20. Rather, the members take turns holding the G20 presidency every year.
According to Al Jazeera, US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he has suspended help to South Africa due to a contentious land expropriation bill intended to address apartheid-era inequities.
Trump said in an executive order that the legislation showed a “shocking disregard” for residents’ rights and would enable the government to take property from Afrikaners, an ethnic minority, without paying them. Trump said in his order that the Expropriation Act, which South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed last month, came after “countless” policies aimed at destroying equal opportunity, along with “hateful rhetoric” and government actions that incited violence against “racially disfavored” landowners, according to Al Jazeera.
According to Trump, South Africa has also adopted “aggressive positions” against the US and its allies, such as enhancing ties with Iran and charging Israel with genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining of United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests,” the order read to Al Jazeera.
