Overview
- The first G20 on African soil convened Saturday in South Africa without U.S. participation after President Trump ordered a boycott over disputed claims about Afrikaners.
- South Africa rejected a late U.S. request to send a chargé d’affaires for the closing handover, saying the president will not pass the gavel to a lower-ranking diplomat.
- Negotiators circulated a draft leaders’ text on Friday, but adoption remains uncertain because Washington opposes any declaration issued without its agreement.
- Attendance is uneven, with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin absent as Li Qiang, Emmanuel Macron, Narendra Modi, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other leaders take part.
- Host priorities focus on climate resilience, debt relief and inequality, while India’s prime minister is slated to speak in all three sessions and join the IBSA meeting.