South Africa said Thursday it had been disinvited from the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit, scheduled for June in Évian-les-Bains, France.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the government had been informed that France withdrew its invitation following sustained pressure from the United States, including threats by Washington to boycott the summit if South Africa attended.
French President Emmanuel Macron had previously invited President Cyril Ramaphosa to participate in the gathering during the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa in November.
Relations between South Africa and the United States have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office last year. Trump has made widely disputed claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa, skipped the G20 summit in Johannesburg, and criticized the country’s Black economic empowerment policies.
The Trump administration has also clashed with Pretoria over its case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel, a U.S. ally, of genocide.
Magwenya said France’s decision would not affect the “strength and close nature” of South Africa’s bilateral relations with Paris. He added that South Africa remained committed to constructive engagement with the United States, noting that ties between the two countries would “outlive the current White House term.”