{"id":1407,"date":"2025-05-21T11:09:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T11:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1407"},"modified":"2025-05-21T11:09:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T11:09:55","slug":"can-south-africa-mend-ties-with-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1407","title":{"rendered":"Can South Africa Mend Ties With the U.S.?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome to <em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s Africa Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: South African President <strong>Cyril Ramaphosa<\/strong> goes to the White House, <strong>Sudan\u2019s army chief<\/strong> appoints the country\u2019s first prime minister since civil war broke out, and a Nigerian film makes history at the <strong>Cannes Film Festival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/africa-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-shortcode-newsletter=\"africa_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-africa_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-africa_brief newsletter-shortcode-africa_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletters-page newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-africa_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-africa_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Africa Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-africa_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-africa_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"africa_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\">Sign Up<\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>South Africa\u2019s Diplomatic Gambit<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday in an attempt to mend bilateral relations, which have deteriorated in recent months as Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/05\/14\/white-south-africans-us-refugees-trump\/\">parroted claims<\/a> that white South Africans are facing \u201cunjust racial discrimination\u201d and \u201cgenocide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is the first time that Trump will host an African leader in his second term. At the meeting, Ramaphosa is expected to propose a comprehensive trade deal as a way to reset the U.S.-South Africa relationship.<\/p>\n<p>Since he took office in January, Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa\/\">cut aid<\/a> to South Africa, expelled its ambassador, signaled plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-04-12\/trump-signals-us-will-skip-south-africa-g20-over-land-claims\">boycott the G-20 summit<\/a> in Johannesburg in November, and reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2025\/05\/14\/white-house-g20-boycott-talks\/\">banned<\/a> U.S. agencies from working on the summit. Trump also announced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/south-africa-says-trumps-tariffs-effectively-nullify-agoa-benefits-2025-04-04\/\">31 percent tariff<\/a> on South African imports as part of his recent tariffs scheme.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, tensions worsened as Washington <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/05\/14\/white-south-africans-us-refugees-trump\/\">granted refugee status<\/a> to 59 white South Africans\u2014a move that Pretoria <a href=\"https:\/\/dirco.gov.za\/government-of-south-africa-engages-united-states-on-resettlement-concerns\/\">said<\/a> was \u201centirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa\u2019s constitutional democracy.\u201d<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s main grievance is South Africa\u2019s new Expropriation Act, aimed at redressing apartheid-era land inequality, which allows Pretoria to seize property in limited circumstances. (No land has been expropriated under the law yet.) Since his first term, Trump has also repeatedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c9wg5pg1xp5o\">claimed<\/a> without evidence that white South African farmers are victims of targeted killings and discrimination.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pretoria\u2019s broader diversity laws are also in the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecRubio\/status\/1887288685517021298\">firing line<\/a> as the Trump administration attacks diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at home and abroad. Trump\u2019s billionaire advisor Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, has been a vocal critic of Pretoria\u2019s policies, which he has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1886321811937189902\">called<\/a> \u201copenly racist.\u201d<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But Trump\u2019s stance against Pretoria is not just about its domestic politics. He has also criticized South Africa\u2019s relationship with Iran and its position on Israel\u2019s war in Gaza. Trump\u2019s February executive order on South Africa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa\/\">cites<\/a> \u201caggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ramaphosa is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/19\/world\/africa\/south-africa-white-genocide-trump-ramaphosa.html\">challenge<\/a> Trump\u2019s understanding of the treatment of Afrikaners, the descendants of mostly Dutch settlers, in South Africa. Pretoria\u2019s delegation to the White House includes John Steenhuisen, the agriculture minister and leader of the majority-white Democratic Alliance party, who will likely help dispute the White House\u2019s false claims of white genocide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no genocide in South Africa,\u201d Steenhuisen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/national-department-of-agriculture_nampo2025-doaatwork-govzaupdates-activity-7329216498315481088-j_Vv\">said<\/a> last week. \u201cWhat we need to do is to make sure that when important trading partners like the U.S. are making decisions around their outlook \u2026 they are making it based on the facts and not the fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There are fears among the<a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/news\/politics\/2025-05-19-what-if-trump-does-to-ramaphosa-what-he-did-to-zelensky-expert-says-weighs-in\/\"> South African public<\/a> and politicians that Ramaphosa may be humiliated like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose meeting with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House in February descended into a <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/02\/28\/trump-zelensky-meeting-transcript-full-text-video-oval-office\/\">shouting match<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Yet Ramaphosa is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-05-18\/south-africa-s-ramaphosa-to-meet-trump-with-white-genocide-claim-on-agenda?sref=gAQr8Hwd\">reportedly unfazed<\/a> and hopes to placate Trump with business opportunities, including by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/can-south-africas-president-fix-his-bilateral-relationship-washington\">making concessions<\/a> on sectors such as critical minerals and agriculture. South Africa is the United States\u2019 largest African trading partner; in 2024, bilateral trade totaled around <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/countries-regions\/africa\/southern-africa\/south-africa#:~:text=South%20Africa%20Trade%20Summary,($679.4%20million)%20from%202023.\">$20.5 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will be conducting our discussions in a business-like manner,\u201d Ramaphosa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100050433551973\/videos\/986572026707430\/\">told<\/a> reporters on Friday. \u201cWe are not going to be distracted by anything. We will just focus on what is important to our country. \u2026 You also negotiate with those that you may have differences with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ramaphosa may try to charm Trump by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news24.com\/politics\/we-have-beautiful-golf-courses-and-other-things-ramaphosa-will-tell-trump-when-they-meet-20250515-1236\">reextending<\/a> an invitation to play on South Africa\u2019s golf courses.<\/p>\n<p>While he\u2019s in Washington, Ramaphosa is also expected to bring up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/autos-transportation\/south-africas-ramaphosa-aims-mend-us-ties-with-musk-business-push-2025-05-19\/\">business opportunities<\/a> for Musk, which could include a proposal for Tesla to receive favorable tariffs on imports to South Africa. He reportedly plans to offer Musk a workaround of Black-ownership laws so that Starlink, Musk\u2019s satellite internet business, can enter the South African market.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>The Week Ahead<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, May 21:<\/strong> Trump and Ramaphosa are scheduled to meet at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>South Africa\u2019s finance minister presents the country\u2019s third revised budget.<\/p>\n<p>European Union and African Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss how to strengthen cooperation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tuesday, May 27, to Thursday, May 29: <\/strong>The West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing &amp; Trade Summit is held in Lagos, Nigeria.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Watching<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sudan\u2019s new prime minister.<\/strong> On Monday, Sudanese army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan <a href=\"https:\/\/sudantribune.com\/article301073\/\">appointed<\/a> Kamil al-Tayeb Idris as the country\u2019s first prime minister since civil war broke out in 2023. Idris is a career diplomat who formerly led the United Nations\u2019 World Intellectual Property Organization.<\/p>\n<p>Idris is tasked with forming a new government at a time when the civilian death toll is worsening in Sudan\u2019s civil war as it enters a new phase marked by the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5e9441c8-00d1-4133-87d6-a026deb6eb39\">foreign drones<\/a>. Meanwhile, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cgrgqjq8ynzo\">established<\/a> its own rival government.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nigeria-China defense pact. <\/strong>Nigeria <a href=\"https:\/\/africa.businessinsider.com\/local\/markets\/china-expands-military-supply-pact-in-africa-with-new-nigeria-deal\/fmc9q97\">signed<\/a> a defense agreement with a Chinese company during Nigerian Minister of State for Defense Bello Matawalle\u2019s visit to Beijing in early May. The Chinese firm has agreed to establish local manufacturing capabilities, invest in military training and equipment servicing, and facilitate technology transfers to Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>Although Nigerian officials did not name the Chinese company in its <a href=\"https:\/\/guardian.ng\/news\/matawalle-meets-chinese-firm-to-bolster-nigerias-defence-capabilities\/\">statement<\/a> announcing the deal, a delegation from China\u2019s North Industries Corp. (Norinco) visited Abuja in March. Nigeria looks to bolster its air defense systems amid a resurgence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cqjvqe4n7gzo\">extremist groups<\/a>. Islamist insurgents attacked four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/regional\/nnorth-east\/794098-boko-haram-iswap-insurgents-attack-four-nigerian-military-bases-within-24-hours.html\">military bases<\/a> in northeastern Nigeria over a 24-hour period last week.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing has stepped up its defense cooperation with African nations in recent years. Norinco, China\u2019s largest state-owned arms manufacturer, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/military\/article\/3310635\/chinese-defence-firm-strikes-arms-deal-nigeria-deepening-ties-west-africa\">worked<\/a> with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Senegal. Last week, China hosted 100 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/diplomacy\/article\/3309709\/china-hosts-delegation-100-african-military-officers-strengthen-defence-ties\">military officers<\/a> from 40 African countries at its military academies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Unrest in Libya. <\/strong>Multiple officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.libyanexpress.com\/ministers-resign-as-protests-intensify-in-tripoli\/\">resigned<\/a> from Libya\u2019s Tripoli-based government on Friday, including Economy and Trade Minister Mohamed al-Hawij, amid protests calling for Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to step down, according to Libyan media reports.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/libyaherald.com\/2025\/05\/gunfire-at-demonstrations-calling-for-aldabaibas-downfall-nervous-ceasefire-holding-as-calm-returns-to-tripoli\/\">demonstrations<\/a> followed armed fighting that broke out in Tripoli on May 12 after the killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, the leader of a powerful armed group, by a rival militia. The clashes have led to the deaths of at least eight civilians.<\/p>\n<p><strong>U.S.-Africa summit. <\/strong>Trump will host a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theafricareport.com\/383817\/trump-expected-to-host-us-africa-leaders-summit-in-new-york\/\">summit<\/a> for African leaders by the end of the year, according to Troy Fitrell, the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Washington\u2019s new Africa policy will <a href=\"https:\/\/africa.businessinsider.com\/local\/markets\/trump-repositions-us-role-in-africa-with-eye-on-trade-and-investment\/xx7gj9e\">prioritize<\/a> private sector investment and dealmaking, Fitrell said at an event last week in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n<p>The last U.S.-Africa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2022\/dec\/13\/african-leaders-gather-in-us-as-joe-biden-aims-to-reboot-rocky-relations\">leaders\u2019 summit<\/a> was hosted in December 2022 by then-President Joe Biden, who faced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/12\/02\/biden-african-leaders-summit-dc-00071954\">criticism<\/a> for scheduling few one-on-one meetings with his African counterparts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bongo leaves Gabon.<\/strong> Gabon\u2019s deposed president, Ali Bongo, has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/gabon-bongo-angola-coup-81c83ec2a8c04d5766121b413d9b5a7a\">left<\/a> the country for Angola with his wife and son. Bongo was placed under house arrest after he was ousted in a 2023 military coup; his son, Noureddin, and wife, Sylvia, were detained on charges of money laundering and embezzling public funds. The junta accused Sylvia of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voaafrica.com\/a\/lawyer-wife-of-gabon-s-deposed-president-ali-bongo-jailed\/7307618.html\">manipulating<\/a> her husband to misuse state assets following his stroke in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>According to a statement posted on social media by the Angolan presidency, the Bongo family\u2019s release followed an agreement between Angolan President Jo\u00e3o Louren\u00e7o and Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema, Gabon\u2019s coup leader-turned-president who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/04\/12\/africa\/gabon-votes-new-president-first-since-2023-military-coup-intl\/index.html\">won the country\u2019s election<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>This Week in Culture<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s film industry is being represented for the first time in the Cannes Film Festival\u2019s official selection with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WoiVcFxcpak\"><em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em><\/a>, Akinola Davies Jr.\u2019s semi-autobiographical directorial debut. The film, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.festival-cannes.com\/en\/f\/my-father-s-shadow\/\">premiered<\/a> on Sunday, is set in Lagos during Nigeria\u2019s 1993 coup, when the military annulled presidential election results and Gen. Sani Abacha seized power.<\/p>\n<p>Davies co-wrote the screenplay with his brother, Wale, who said the film attempts to capture Nigerians\u2019 hope for\u2014and disappointments around\u2014democracy and change. \u201cI think with Nigeria, it\u2019s the promise and the potential that kills you,\u201d Wale <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2025\/05\/akinola-davies-jr-my-fathers-shadow-interview-1236389864\/\">said<\/a>. \u201cAnd now I\u2019m 42, and I think even in that time we\u2019ve lost so many people who\u2019ve never seen this promise materialize.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Film, music, and art are Nigeria\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/03\/06\/nigeria-mavin-rema-afrobeats-universal-music-global\/\">biggest exports<\/a> after oil, and Nollywood is the third-largest film industry in the world in terms of output.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Reading<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Musk\u2019s African profits.<\/strong> U.S. diplomats have used the threat of aid cuts to pressure African governments to fast-track licenses for Starlink, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/trump-musk-starlink-state-department-gambia-africa-pressure\"><em>ProPublica<\/em><\/a> investigation.<\/p>\n<p>In cables, senior State Department officials have suggested to their counterparts in African nations that granting licenses to Starlink would prove \u201ctheir commitment to good relations with the U.S.,\u201d according to the report. U.S. officials reportedly lobbied on Musk\u2019s behalf in Cameroon, Djibouti, Gambia, and Lesotho.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Diverted water in Malawi. <\/strong>A class action lawsuit against Illovo Sugar Malawi and its parent company, Associated British Foods\u2014which owns sugar brand Silver Spoon and retailer Primark\u2014alleges that flood defenses around the producer\u2019s Nchalo Sugar Estate in Malawi diverted floodwaters that killed seven people and destroyed homes in 2022, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investigative-malawi.org\/1948\/sweet-deals-sour-outcomes-uk-brands-linked-to-malawi-flood-disaster\/\">Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n<p>Villagers allege that the flood barriers built to protect the plantation altered the flow of the Mwanza River, worsening the impact of flooding on their community.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/05\/21\/ramaphosa-trump-meeting-washington-south-africa-us-ties-tensions-trade\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Foreign Policy\u2019s Africa Brief. The highlights this week: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa goes to the White House, Sudan\u2019s army chief appoints the country\u2019s first prime minister since civil war broke out, and a Nigerian film makes history at the Cannes Film Festival. Sign up to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politcical-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}