Did the US push France to drop South Africa from the G7 summit?
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied claims that the United States pressured France to withdraw an invitation for him to attend this year’s G7 summit, after his own spokesperson suggested Washington was behind the reversal.
Ramaphosa had been invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to the summit, scheduled for June in Évian, France, but South Africa has since been told it will no longer be on the guest list.
Reports earlier on Thursday quoted presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya as saying France acted after “sustained pressure” from the United States, including an alleged threat by Washington to boycott if South Africa attended.
Speaking to journalists later the same day, Ramaphosa contradicted that account. He said he had no information indicating any country, “the United States or any other country”, had leaned on France to rescind the invitation.
The president also sought to downplay the diplomatic significance of not being invited, noting that South Africa is not a member of the G7 and does not attend every year. Many countries are not invited to the forum, he said, and South Africa participates only when asked to present a message or engage on specific issues.
The conflicting statements have raised questions about what prompted the change in plans and whether the decision reflects shifting politics among G7 members.
However, Ramaphosa’s office has not provided a detailed explanation for why the invitation was withdrawn, beyond the president’s insistence that it was not the result of US pressure.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
