Ramaphosa closes G20 amid US boycott and protocol clash

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa formally closed the G20 summit in Johannesburg after rejecting a U.S. request to hand over leadership to a junior embassy official, as Washington boycotted the event.

1news.media citing The Guardian, reports that the U.S. has repeatedly accused South Africa of discrimination against white Afrikaners, a claim widely dismissed, and objected to the G20 leaders’ declaration issued under South Africa’s presidency.

Ramaphosa praised the summit as a demonstration of multilateral cooperation despite major absences, including the U.S., Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, and Argentina’s Javier Milei. Argentina also refused to endorse the final declaration, criticizing its handling of the Middle East conflict.

The G20 communique emphasized commitments to climate action, gender equality, and global peace efforts across regions, including Ukraine, Sudan, the DRC, and the Palestinian territories. The U.S. criticized Ramaphosa for not facilitating what it called a “smooth transition,” while South Africa insisted that protocol prevented the president from handing the gavel to an acting U.S. ambassador.

The 2026 summit is scheduled to be held at Trump National Doral Miami.