The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring on Friday that the envoy was no longer welcome in the country. Rubio accused the diplomat, Embrahim Rasool, of being a “race-baiting politician” hostile to both the U.S. and President Donald Trump.
Relations between the two nations have soured since Trump’s decision to cut U.S. financial aid to South Africa, citing opposition to its land expropriation policies and its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Washington’s ally, Israel. Announcing Rasool’s expulsion on social media platform X, Rubio stated, “South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”
Rubio’s statement followed reports from right-wing news outlet Breitbart, which quoted Rasool as accusing Trump of leading a white “supremacist” movement. South Africa’s presidency responded on Saturday, acknowledging the expulsion as “regrettable” but reaffirming its commitment to maintaining diplomatic ties with the U.S. Meanwhile, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, indicated that Pretoria would address the matter through official diplomatic channels.
Rasool has reportedly faced diplomatic isolation in Washington since Trump took office in January, struggling to secure routine meetings with State Department officials and key Republican figures. According to the news website Semafor, his pro-Palestinian stance and criticism of Israel may have contributed to his exclusion from high-level engagements.
Former U.S. ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard described the current state of U.S.-South Africa relations as their “lowest point” and urged efforts to mend the fractured partnership. Rasool, who previously served as South Africa’s envoy to Washington, had presented his credentials to then-President Joe Biden just days before Trump assumed office.
The diplomatic tensions come amid broader disagreements between the two nations. Trump has repeatedly claimed, without providing evidence, that South Africa is “confiscating land” and that certain groups are being treated “very badly.” His close associate, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, has echoed these concerns, alleging that white South Africans face discrimination under “racist ownership laws.” In January, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed legislation facilitating land expropriation without compensation in some cases, a move that has drawn significant international scrutiny.
