US postpones arrangements for G20 summit

(MENAFN) The Biden administration has paused all U.S. preparations for the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, following President Donald Trump’s escalating criticism of South Africa, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the White House National Security Council ordered federal agencies to cease planning for the November summit. The move aligns with Trump’s previous threat to boycott the meeting, citing what he describes as a campaign of “genocide” against South Africa’s white minority.

Tensions escalated after South Africa passed legislation in January permitting the seizure of land without compensation—most of which is owned by white farmers—as part of a broader land reform initiative. The South African government defends the policy as a step toward correcting historic inequalities stemming from apartheid.

Trump, however, condemned the move, claiming that white farmers are being killed and dispossessed with little media attention. “White farmers are being brutally killed and their land is being confiscated... and the newspapers don’t even report it,” he told reporters on Monday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed Trump’s accusations as entirely unfounded and expressed willingness to engage in dialogue to clarify the issue.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has welcomed about 50 white South African asylum seekers, with Trump pledging expedited pathways to citizenship for them.

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