French officials have denied claims by the office of South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa's that France has excluded South Africa from the list of invitees to June's G7 leaders' summit in Paris under pressure from Washington, saying Kenya has been invited instead.
South Africa, a regular guest at previous G7 summits, said on Thursday that it had been excluded after initially being invited around two weeks ago, saying the US had threatened to boycott the summit if South Africa was invited.
"We've accepted the French decision and appreciate the pressure they've been subjected to," said Vincent Magwenya, a spokesperson for Ramaphosa, on Thursday.
But Ramaphosa backtracked a few hours later, saying according to "his information" there had been "no pressure from any country", whether the US or another.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that his country had “not yielded to any pressure” but had opted for a “streamlined G7”, inviting Kenya instead, given that France is holding a major Africa summit in Nairobi in May.
A White House official backed France's account, saying the decision to invite Kenya came after talks among G7 members. "We have not asked the French to exclude South Africa from the G7 summit," the official said, adding Washington "welcomes Kenya’s participation".
Trump’s pick as US ambassador arrives in Pretoria as tensions persist
Strained US-South Africa relations
Relations between Washington and Pretoria have fractured over a range of issues, from South Africa’s genocide case against US ally Israel to President Donald Trump's discredited claims that white Afrikaners are being persecuted..
Trump also imposed 30 percent tariffs last year on most South African exports, though the US Supreme Court has since overruled his tariff policy.
Washington snubbed last year's G20 summit in Johannesburg and excluded South Africa from meetings of the G20 meetings, for which it holds the rotating presidency this year.
It was during last November's G20 summit that French President Emmanuel Macron personally invited Ramaphosa to take part in the G7, Pretoria recalled.
The Group of Seven industrialised nations often widens its work to other invited countries.
In addition to Kenya, France announced earlier that it will host the leaders of India, South Korea and Brazil at the summit to be held in Evian-les-Bains on 15-17 June.
“This will have no impact on the strength and close nature of our bilateral relationship with France,” presidency spokesperson Magwenya said.
“Notwithstanding all of these developments, South Africa remains committed to engage constructively with the US,” he said.
“The diplomatic relationship between the USA and South Africa predates the Trump administration and it will outlive the current White House term of office.”
(with newswires)
