Sen. Marco Rubio, center, poses for a group photo with members of Navy Recruiting District Nashville, including the Sailors assigned to Navy Recruiting Station Chattanooga, during a visit to Chattanooga.. (Timothy Walter/Navy)
The US has delegated its representation at a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg next week to a locally based official after Secretary of State Marco Rubio snubbed the event.
Dana Brown, charge d’affaires and acting chief of mission until the administration of President Donald Trump appoints an ambassador, will represent the US. Rubio said Feb. 6 that he wouldn’t attend because of South Africa’s land and equality polices, and attacked what he said was the G-20’s focus on diversity and climate change.
His false claims that South Africa is expropriating land echoed those of Trump, who a day later offered refugee status to the country’s Afrikaner ethnic minority, a group that includes many of the nation’s richest people and senior businessmen. Trump issued an order halting all aid to South Africa, although some exceptions have since been made.
Trump also cited South Africa’s case in the International Court of Justice alleging Israel’s assault in the Gaza Strip was an act of genocide for his decision.
In response, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an annual speech to the nation that the country won’t be bullied. Brown will not be speaking to the media, the US Embassy in South Africa said.
Trump is also yet to confirm an undersecretary for Africa.
The meeting is expected to be attended by a number of foreign ministers from some of the world’s biggest economies.
