South Africa should not be 'bullied' by US in ambassador row, opposition says

Statement: International Arab Center for Communication and Solidarity

In response to the U.S. government’s decision to expel the South African Ambassador from the United States, the International Arab Center for Communication and Solidarity issued the following statement: The announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the expulsion of South A

International relations department concerned by US calls for policy change in SA – The Mail & Guardian

Remarks by the US State Department in the wake of the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to Washington reaffirmed ties between the two countries but also read, concerningly, as a wish to dictate domestic policy, the international relations ministry has said. “We are concerned that the comments could suggest that the US wants to interfere in SA’s sovereign, national policy,” ministerial spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told the Mail & Guardian. “T…

Ramaphosa in no rush to appoint ambassador to US, says Magwenya

President Cyril Ramaphosa will not rush to appoint a replacement for expelled ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool despite lobbying by some stakeholders, his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told journalists on Thursday.

It’s Time: Boycott America

The Trump administration objected so strenuously to a recent speech by South Africa’s ambassador that it expelled him from the United States. What did Ebrahim Rasool say that was so objectionable? Honestly, the speech he made at a webinar sponsored by a South African research institute was rather boring. But embedded in his remarks is this observation: “Donald Trump is launching…an assault on incumbency, those who are in power, by mobilising a s…

South African ambassador ordered to leave the country

South Africa‘s ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, has until Friday to leave the country. Rasool is still in the United States, according to the South African Foreign Ministry, even after Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled him and gave him “persona non grata” status. It is a rare occurrence in U.S. history to expel such a high-ranking diplomat. The deadline comes a week after Rasool’s online lecture to a South African think tank. During…

Rasool, diplomacy and global power

While very little of the analysis has delved into the core issues that Ebrahim Rasool raised in his remarks, the case raises the question about to whom protocol applies in relation to global power balances.