G20 Summit | US decision regrettable: Presidency

The article discusses US President Donald Trump's announcement to bar South Africa from attending the 2025 G20 leaders' summit in the US, described as regrettable by the South African presidency. This follows South Africa's handover of the G20 presidency to the US earlier in the week, after the US boycotted the recent G20 summit in Johannesburg over alleged human rights abuses against white South Africans. Despite the boycott, G20 leaders adopted a declaration. SBC News correspondent Sophie McQuena, reporting from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, provides analysis: Leaders anticipated tensions during the US presidency starting December 1, with South Africa still holding the role until then. The G20's troika system involves South Africa (outgoing), the US (incoming), and the UK (next), but there is no provision for expelling members, as seen in failed attempts against Russia post-Ukraine invasion. The issue is bilateral, not multilateral, so formal barring is impossible; the US could only deny visas to South African delegates. McQuena dismisses the 'white genocide' narrative as fake news, rejected by South African groups like AfriForum and Solidarity. Other G20 leaders, including G7 and BRICS nations, promoted positive views of South Africa on social media, with only Argentina dissenting on the declaration, indicating strong international support for Pretoria. The discussion hints at potential broader implications, such as visa issues for South Africans attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, signaling the start of ongoing developments in US-South Africa relations.