South Africa is continuing with the G20 Summit in Johannesburg this weekend without participation from the United States, after government officials confirmed that no American delegation has been accredited. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has formally recorded the US as absent for the summit taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told journalists at the summit on Saturday that the withdrawal of the United States would not disrupt the work of global leaders who have gathered in Johannesburg. Phiri said South Africa would not allow the agenda of the summit to be overshadowed by a country that chose not to attend. He said they were aware that the US had attempted to indicate at the last minute that junior staff from its Pretoria embassy could be sent to accept the G20 presidency since the US will host the event next year.

Phiri said no accreditation had been submitted and that the US remained absent. He said officials wanted to focus on discussions taking place with countries that were present. He said the summit could not be held hostage by last minute shifts in attendance. Phiri said the president would not hand over the presidency to a junior official and that the process would be done at an appropriate level when conditions allowed.

The US boycott follows recent public comments by US President Donald Trump. Trump announced that no US official would attend the summit and accused South Africa of allowing what he called human rights abuses against white Afrikaner citizens. He repeated claims that Afrikaner communities were being targeted and that land was being seized from white farmers. His remarks were widely circulated internationally in the days leading up to the summit and resulted in confirmation that the US would not send senior representatives to Johannesburg.

Reports have also indicated that the US informed South Africa that lower level officials could arrive on Sunday for what they described as a handover ceremony. South African officials have dismissed this possibility and said the focus remains on the work of world leaders present at the summit. Phiri urged the media not to give undue attention to absences and said the summit would continue with its full programme.