International
US Expels South African Ambassador Amid Rising Diplomatic Tensions
- The US expels South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring him “no longer welcome.”
- Rubio accuses Rasool of being anti-American and supporting racial discrimination, linking to a right-wing article about his remarks on Trump.
- The expulsion follows Trump’s executive order cutting aid to South Africa over alleged racial discrimination against white Afrikaners.
The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring that Ebrahim Rasool is “no longer welcome in our great country.”
In a post on X, Rubio accused Rasool of harbouring anti-American sentiments and criticizing President Donald Trump. He described the ambassador as a “race-baiting politician” and asserted that the US has “nothing to discuss with him.” The rare diplomatic expulsion marks an escalation in the already strained relations between the two nations.
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Rubio’s statement was accompanied by a link to a Breitbart article that cited remarks Rasool made during an online lecture. In his speech, Rasool argued that Trump’s political movement was fuelled by supremacist sentiments and demographic shifts in the US electorate. Rubio responded by labelling him “PERSONA NON GRATA,” invoking the Latin phrase for an unwelcome individual.
The decision comes as Rubio wrapped up a diplomatic trip to Canada, underscoring broader tensions between the US and South Africa. Relations have worsened since Trump’s return to office, particularly after he signed an executive order last month freezing US assistance to South Africa. The order cites “egregious actions” by the South African government, including what the White House described as “unjust racial discrimination” against white Afrikaners.
At the heart of the dispute is South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which the US administration claims unfairly targets Afrikaner landowners by allowing the government to seize private property. Trump’s executive order also criticizes South Africa’s alleged support for “bad actors on the world stage” and its handling of attacks on white farmers. The South African government has denied that the law is racially motivated, according to the Associated Press.
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Diplomatic expulsions of senior officials are rare in US foreign policy. Even during the Cold War, Washington and Moscow refrained from expelling ambassadors despite heightened tensions. Rasool, who previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to the US from 2010 to 2015, was reappointed in 2025.
Born and raised in Cape Town, Rasool has long been involved in politics, shaped in part by his personal experiences. At the age of nine, he and his family were forcibly evicted from their home under apartheid-era policies that designated certain areas as whites-only. He has cited that event as a pivotal moment in his political awakening.
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