South African High Commissioner Anil Sooklal on Tuesday strongly criticized the United States for excluding South Africa from this year's G20 summit, asserting that no single nation has the authority to unilaterally alter the composition or functioning of the influential global grouping.
Speaking on the decision to exclude South Africa from the G20 proceedings scheduled in the United States, Sooklal emphasized that the G20 operates on the core principles of inclusivity and consensus. He stated, "No one country has the right to go and unilaterally change the makeup of the G20. The exclusion of South Africa from G20 proceedings this year under the USA is a unilateral process, and fellow G20 countries have spoken out in disagreement with this decision."
The South African envoy further warned that any attempt to sideline member countries undermines the foundational principles on which the grouping functions. He added, "If you want to preserve and strengthen the G20, then we need to preserve the inclusive processes and respect the consensus-based nature of the G20 and not allow unilateral action to undermine a very important global body."
Sooklal's remarks come amid ongoing discussions about participation and representation within the G20, which brings together major economies to address global economic, financial, and development challenges.
In November last year, US President Donald Trump announced that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, while sharply criticizing the South African government over what he described as "horrific Human Rights abuses." In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers." He added, "To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them."
The US had previously boycotted the 2025 meeting in South Africa amid unfounded accusations that the government was committing genocide against White South Africans, as reported by CNN.
