US expels South African ambassador amid Rising diplomatic tensions

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The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement on Friday, calling Rasool a “race-baiting politician” who harbors hostility toward both America and President Donald Trump.

“South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,” Rubio declared in a post on the social media platform X. “We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”

Rubio’s comments came after Breitbart, a right-wing media outlet, quoted Rasool as saying that Trump was leading a white “supremacist” movement. The statement fueled an already strained relationship between Washington and Pretoria, exacerbated by South Africa’s decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and Trump’s move to cut US financial aid to the country.

South Africa’s presidency responded on Saturday, saying it “noted the regrettable expulsion” but remained committed to maintaining a constructive relationship with Washington. Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, stated that the government “will engage through the diplomatic channel” to address the issue.

Reports suggest that Rasool has struggled to engage with key US officials since Trump took office in January. The news website Semafor cited a South African diplomat who said that Rasool’s pro-Palestinian stance and criticism of Israel likely contributed to his diplomatic isolation. The State Department has yet to comment on the situation.

Patrick Gaspard, a former US ambassador to South Africa, warned that relations between the two nations have reached their “lowest point.” He emphasized the need for diplomacy, stating, “There’s too much at stake to not work towards the repair of this partnership.”

Rasool, who previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to the US during the Obama administration, presented his credentials to then-President Joe Biden on January 13, just days before Trump took office for his second term. His tenure quickly became fraught with political tensions.

The broader diplomatic rift stems in part from Trump’s stance on South Africa’s land policies. The former president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that “South Africa is confiscating land” and that “certain classes of people” are being treated “very badly.” His views align with those of South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally, who has accused the country of enforcing “racist ownership laws” that disadvantage white farmers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pushed back against such claims, defending his administration’s land reform policies, which aim to address historical racial disparities in land ownership. He signed a bill into law in January facilitating state expropriation of land in the public interest, including in certain cases without compensation. However, Ramaphosa has insisted that the government has not confiscated any land and has rejected comparisons to Zimbabwe’s past forced seizures of white-owned property.

The expulsion of Rasool marks a new low in US-South Africa relations, with little indication of immediate diplomatic resolution.