US not participating in G20 summit in South Africa: White House

WASHINGTON

The US will not attend the G20 summit on Nov. 22-23 in South Africa, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday.

"I'd be happy to explain because there is not a shift. The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa," Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Her remarks came after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the US and South Africa are discussing Washington’s participation in the summit following a “change of mind."

"I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the President of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team," Leavitt said.

"The ambassador or the representative of the Embassy in South Africa is simply there to recognize that the United States will be the host of the G20; they are receiving that send-off at the end of the event, they are not there to participate in official talks despite what the South African president is falsely claiming," she added.

South Africa is the first African country to lead the G20, a powerful group of nations. It assumed the rotational annual presidency of the group last December.

Relations between Washington and Pretoria have been frosty following disagreements on several foreign and domestic issues.

Earlier this month, Trump said no American officials would attend the Johannesburg summit, accusing South Africa of committing “human rights abuses” against white Afrikaners.

South Africa has repeatedly rejected the allegations, saying claims of systematic persecution or land seizures targeting white Afrikaners are not supported by evidence.