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The G20 summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, concluded without a formal handover of the presidency to the United States due to significant diplomatic tensions. The absence of a high-level US representative overshadowed the event, which focused on global economic challenges and geopolitical divisions, raising questions about the future role of the G20.
Africa. The G20 summit of world leaders, hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday and Sunday, concluded without a formal handover of the rotating presidency to the United States, amid sharp diplomatic disagreements between the two countries regarding the level of US representation at the summit.
The United States boycotted the two-day meeting of leaders from both developed and emerging economies in Johannesburg due to allegations from President Donald Trump’s administration that South Africa violently oppresses its white Afrikaner minority, a claim that Pretoria strongly denied. Washington sent only the chargé d’affaires at its embassy, Mark De Dillard, to attend the closing session and receive the presidency of the group.
However, South Africa described the US sending its chargé d’affaires to take over the rotating presidency as an insult to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated in a press release on Sunday: “The United States is a member of the G20, and if it wanted to have a representative, it could have sent someone at the appropriate level. This is a leaders’ summit, and the appropriate level could be the head of state, a special representative appointed by the president, or a minister.”
Lamola confirmed that the absence of high-level US participation prevented the traditional handover ceremony, stating that the South African president would not hand over the presidency to the US chargé d’affaires but would instead transfer it to the United States at any location or ministerial office of its choosing within South Africa.
The South African president, the summit’s host, attempted to downplay Trump’s absence, emphasizing that the G20 remains a vital platform for international cooperation. He stated, “The G20 highlights the importance of multilateralism. The challenges we face can only be addressed through cooperation and partnership.”
However, the summit was affected by the US boycott, with Li Qiang representing China instead of President Xi Jinping, the Kremlin sending official Maxim Oreshkin instead of President Vladimir Putin, and Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Kirno attending in place of President Javier Milei.
The summit, the first of its kind on the African continent and the first to include the African Union as a permanent member, saw warnings from leaders about geopolitical divisions threatening the group’s role in addressing global economic crises.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that “the G20 may be on the verge of losing its role,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the need to find “constructive ways to address global challenges.”
Despite Washington’s absence, leaders adopted a summit declaration addressing climate, energy, debt, and strategic minerals, which included a call for a “just” peace in Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
However, the US-African dispute cast a shadow over the event, especially with Trump’s announcement that the United States would host the next group summit in 2026 at his private golf club in Florida.
The G20, established in 1999, serves as a forum for the world’s major economies to discuss and coordinate economic policy. The summit in Johannesburg marked the first time the G20 was hosted in Africa, highlighting the continent’s growing importance in global economic discussions. The absence of key leaders from the US and other nations underscored ongoing geopolitical tensions that threaten the effectiveness of this international platform.
Historically, the G20 has played a crucial role in addressing global economic crises, but recent divisions have led to concerns about its future relevance.
