France's ambassador to South Africa has called on Washington to allow South African officials to participate in Group of 20 meetings held in the United States this year, following a decision by President Donald Trump to bar the country from those gatherings.
David Martinon, the French ambassador to South Africa, made the public appeal after Trump moved to exclude South African representatives from G20 meetings taking place on U.S. soil, according to ABC News. The United States holds the G20 presidency this year, giving it authority over the logistics and attendance of related events.
The ambassador's statement represents a notable diplomatic intervention by a key U.S. ally, with France openly siding with South Africa on an issue that has exposed tensions between Washington and Pretoria.
Background to the dispute
Relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated in recent months under the Trump administration. Washington has expressed criticism of Pretoria over a range of issues, including South Africa's land reform legislation and its decision to pursue a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice - a move that drew sharp rebukes from U.S. officials.
Trump's decision to bar South African officials from G20 meetings on American soil escalates those tensions into the multilateral arena, potentially complicating the functioning of the broader forum, which includes the world's largest economies.
France's position
Ambassador Martinon's intervention signals that some U.S. partners are uncomfortable with the use of G20 hosting privileges as a bilateral diplomatic tool. The G20 is designed as a forum for international economic cooperation, and excluding a member nation's representatives raises questions about the integrity of the process.
South Africa is a full G20 member and hosted the forum's presidency in 2025 before the rotation passed to the United States.
The French embassy in Pretoria has not, according to available reports, issued a formal diplomatic protest, but the ambassador's public comments reflect a clear disagreement with Washington's approach.
South Africa's response
South African officials have not yet issued a detailed public response to France's show of support, and the extent of diplomatic negotiations happening behind the scenes remains unclear. Pretoria has consistently defended its domestic policies and its positions on international legal matters against U.S. criticism.
The situation adds another layer of complexity to South Africa's international standing at a time when it is navigating relationships with both Western nations and the broader Global South. How the dispute is resolved could have implications for the functioning of the G20 under U.S. stewardship for the remainder of the year.
