G20 Summit | Diplomatic protocol questions emerge after G20 handover - Lwazi Somya

The article is a transcript of a news segment discussing South Africa's impending handover of the G20 presidency to the United States, amid underlying diplomatic tensions over protocol. South Africa's International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola emphasizes avoiding strain with Washington but insists on equal-rank officials for the transfer, rejecting a request for President Cyril Ramaphosa to hand over to a junior US representative. The segment features an interview with Luazi Somia, a senior researcher from the Southern African Liaison Office, who highlights key takeaways from South Africa's G20 presidency. The process began over a year ago during Brazil's term, focusing on themes like inequality, debt, a 20-year G20 review, and centering Africa, resulting in about 80 references to the continent in the summit declaration, adopted on the first day—the second time this has occurred, following India's presidency. Somia stresses the need to mobilize these commitments through international bodies like the UN, UN Economic Commission for Africa, and African Union, as well as domesticate them nationally. Regarding the handover and SA-US relations, Ramaphosa expects ongoing trade talks despite differences. Notably, the US under the Trump administration voluntarily withdrew from the summit—the first such instance for a founding member—yet multilateralism persisted, with consensus achieved without them, underscoring the world's ability to advance independently. Russian President Vladimir Putin's absence was involuntary due to an ICC arrest warrant. South Africa received praise for its Africa-centric approach, with Ramaphosa continuing African engagements, including EU relations in Angola. Somia portrays Africa as the century's growth engine, with a burgeoning population dividend by 2050, attracting US business interest (high B20 representation) and prompting shifts from aid to investments in infrastructure, trade, and business to address inequality, debt, and risks. The G20's Common Framework for debt has been refined for African contexts, and Africa's 2024 incorporation as a member positions it as a key voice on crises like debt, inequality, and climate change, including gaps in mitigation finance and building early warning systems. Overall, the presidency reinforces Africa's global centrality and resilient multilateralism despite US disengagement.