The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio charging that the envoy is a “race-baiting politician” who hates the U.S. and President Donald Trump.
“South Africa’s ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,” Rubio said via X on Friday.
“We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA,” he said, accusing Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool of being “a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS.”
The office of South Africa’s president said on Saturday that the U.S. decision was “regrettable,” urging Washington to observe “diplomatic decorum.”
“The Presidency has noted the regrettable expulsion of South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Mr. Ebrahim Rasool,” it said in a statement.
“The Presidency urges all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter.”
“South Africa remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States of America,” the statement added.
On December 29, South Africa launched a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the Israeli regime over its violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide during its war on Gaza. In response, Trump cut off U.S. aid to South Africa, after he took office for a second term on January 20 this year.
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