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South African Ambassador Expelled as U.S.-South Africa Relations Deteriorate

Ebrahim Rasool's removal follows controversial remarks about Trump's policies and highlights growing tensions over Israel, land reform, and racial politics.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during her first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 6, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FILE - South Africa's ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool speaks at the South African Embassy in Washington, Dec. 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
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Overview

  • The U.S. expelled South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool after he criticized President Trump, calling his administration a 'supremacist insurgency.'
  • South Africa's government expressed regret over the expulsion, which it says disrupts diplomatic progress with its second-largest trading partner.
  • The Trump administration has criticized South Africa's land expropriation law and its accusations of Israeli genocide, framing these positions as anti-American.
  • Elon Musk and other Trump allies have amplified claims of 'White genocide' in South Africa, despite local court rulings dismissing such claims as baseless.
  • South Africa faces the challenge of appointing a new ambassador acceptable to both Washington's current political climate and its own independent foreign policy stance.