(Africanews) – The expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to the United States underscores a case of “diplomatic bullying” by the new U.S. administration, a move that should be strongly opposed by all African nations, according to a South African political expert.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool “persona non grata” on the social media platform X on Friday, giving him 72 hours to leave the United States. This decision followed an earlier speech in which Rasool openly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, the South African president’s office described the expulsion as “regrettable,” calling for “diplomatic decorum” between the two nations.
Patrick Bond, a political economist and international relations expert at the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Sociology, observed that the United States is displeased with South Africa’s stance against Israel’s actions in Gaza. He noted that Ambassador Rasool’s outspoken criticism of Trump contributed to the growing tensions between the two countries.
“The main friction between South Africa and the U.S. now goes back to early 2024. It stems from the International Court of Justice case against Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, which implies that the United States, as Israel’s primary supporter, is complicit in the genocide. The U.S. wants South Africa to withdraw the case, but much of the world supports South Africa’s leadership on this issue. U.S. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio stated that South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool—who is new to the role but has served before—was not being diplomatic enough because he essentially accused Donald Trump of inspiring a worldwide movement of white racists,” Bond explained.
“That’s the signal that they will be bullies, they will get away with it. They will throw out an ambassador for simply being honest. The entire African continent should stand up against this bullying,” he added.
