Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that neither he nor any American officials will attend the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, accusing the host nation of widespread human rights violations against its white Afrikaner population.
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump condemned the decision to hold the high-profile global meeting in South Africa, calling it “a total disgrace.” He claimed that Afrikaners descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers were being “slaughtered and killed” and that their “land and farms are being illegally seized.”
“It is shameful that the G20 will convene in a place where such atrocities occur,” Trump wrote. “Afrikaners are being persecuted, and their property is being confiscated. No U.S. government official will attend while these human rights abuses continue.”
According to The Guardian, Vice President J.D. Vance was initially expected to represent the United States at the summit but has now cancelled his trip following the President’s directive. Trump also reiterated that he is looking forward to hosting the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, Florida, stating, “The world will see what real leadership looks like.”
Trump has repeatedly spoken out about violence against white farmers in South Africa, referring to it as a form of “genocide” a term that no international human rights body or South African political organization has endorsed. He has previously accused Pretoria’s leadership of tolerating attacks on minority Afrikaner farmers and failing to protect their property rights.
The administration recently capped the refugee intake at 7,500, with Trump indicating that the majority of those slots would be offered to white South Africans “facing persecution and displacement.”
In response to the accusations, the South African government expressed surprise, rejecting Trump’s claims as unfounded. Officials emphasized that white citizens continue to enjoy one of the highest living standards in the country, even decades after the end of apartheid. “These allegations are detached from reality,” a government spokesperson said, noting that South Africa remains committed to equality and rule of law.
According to South African History Online, Afrikaners are primarily descended from Dutch (34.8%), German (33.7%), and French (13.2%) settlers who arrived in southern Africa during the 17th century. Traditionally farmers hence the term Boers the Afrikaners developed a distinct cultural and linguistic identity centered around the Afrikaans language, derived from Dutch.
Trump’s decision to boycott the G20 underscores his administration’s growing tension with Pretoria and signals a sharp diplomatic rebuke over what Washington describes as the “moral failure” of global institutions to address alleged human rights violations in South Africa.