• Ambassador Expulsion: Expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool, citing "toxic and undiplomatic remarks"
• Deteriorating Relations: Expulsion marks a significant low point in U.S.-South Africa relations, exacerbated by South Africa's foreign policy shifts
• Rwanda-Belgium Tensions: Simultaneously, Rwanda has severed diplomatic ties with Belgium, accusing it of supporting sanctions against the country

Harare- In an expected escalation of diplomatic hostilities, 45^th  President of USA Donald Trump, now back in the White House as the 47^th, has ordered the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, citing “toxic and undiplomatic remarks” directed at his administration.

After Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on social media that Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was no longer welcome in the U.S., South African embassy staff were called to the State Department.

There, they received a formal diplomatic note outlining the decision, according to department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. She stated that Rasool’s diplomatic privileges and immunities expired on Monday, and he must leave the United States by Friday.

This move marks the nadir of a years-long deterioration in relations, rooted in South Africa’s foreign policy shifts under President Cyril Ramaphosa, a trajectory clashing sharply with U.S. strategic interests under both Biden and Trump. 

The fissure deepened during President Joe Biden’s tenure when South Africa filed a landmark case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023, accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip during its war with Hamas.

The case, Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), alleged Israel’s 75-year apartheid system, 56-year occupation of Palestinian territories, and 16-year blockade of Gaza violated the Genocide Convention.

 South Africa sought provisional measures, demanding an immediate suspension of Israeli military operations. Israel dismissed the charges as “baseless,” accusing South Africa of acting as Hamas’ “legal arm” and emphasising its right to self-defense after Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks. 

The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, condemned South Africa’s stance as hypocritical and politically motivated.

Tensions flared further when Pretoria refused to condemn Hamas, framing its actions as “resistance to occupation.” This alignment alienated bipartisan U.S. leadership, setting the stage for retaliation. 

Matters worsened in July 2023 when South Africa refused to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during a planned BRICS summit in Johannesburg, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Defying Western pressure, Ramaphosa’s government dismissed the warrant as politically motivated, asserting the U.S. lacked “moral high ground” given its interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

This defiance prompted calls by U.S. lawmakers to revoke South Africa’s trade privileges under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants duty-free access to U.S. markets. 

Long-simmering tensions over domestic policy boiled over in 2025. Ramaphosa’s government accelerated land redistribution initiatives aimed at addressing apartheid-era inequities by transferring land from white farmers to Black South Africans which Trump labelled “racist” and “economically disastrous.”

The U.S. froze a $400 million HIV/AIDS program, revoked a $1 billion climate deal, and fast-tracked legislation to exclude South Africa from AGOA, threatening its automotive and agricultural sectors. 

The crisis reached its zenith when South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. criticised Trump’s “authoritarian rhetoric,” reportedly calling him a “racist pushing white and American hegemony” to revive fading dominance.

Trump’s administration retaliated within hours and  declared the ambassador persona non grata, giving 72 hours to leave the country.

The expulsion triggered immediate consequences. Trump’s push to revoke AGOA privileges risks 62,000 jobs in South Africa’s auto sector alone.

What began as ideological friction over Israel and Russia has spiralled into a full-blown diplomatic war. Trump’s expulsion of the ambassador symbolises a broader rejection of South Africa’s foreign policy, a rejection that could redefine Africa’s geopolitical landscape.

As South Africa pivots toward BRICS and the U.S. tightens its sanctions noose, the once-steady alliance between Washington and Pretoria appears irreparably broken.

This clash reflects a broader struggle between a multipolar world order and America’s fading unipolar dominance. South Africa has chosen its side and so has Trump.

In parallel, Rwanda has announced it has cut diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all of their diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, drawing a swift response from Brussels. Rwanda’s move came a day after President Paul Kagame accused Belgium of advocating for international sanctions against his country amid the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.

Belgium has sided with the Democratic Republic of Congo as Rwandan-backed rebels have captured swaths of territory rich in natural resources. The severing of ties occurred as EU ministers agreed on a list of sanctions targeting Rwandan military commanders and members of a Rwanda-backed rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The relationship between Belgium and Rwanda has grown increasingly tense as M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have rapidly advanced into eastern DRC, capturing key cities like Goma and Bukavu and forcing thousands to flee.

Reports indicate that approximately 7,000 people have been killed in the fighting, further complicating the humanitarian situation in the region.

The EU sanctions list, decided at a foreign affairs ministers meeting in Brussels, targets individuals holding leading positions in the Rwanda Defense Force and M23, as well as a refinery accused of illegally trafficking natural resources from eastern DRC.

A New World Order: Multipolarity vs. American Decline 

What began as ideological friction over Israel, Russia, and resource wars has spiraled into a diplomatic reckoning. Trump’s expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador symbolises a rupture in Washington’s once-steady alliance with Pretoria, a rupture mirrored in Rwanda’s rejection of Belgium.

These clashes epitomise the global struggle between a fading unipolar order and an ascendant multipolar world. 

As South Africa and Rwanda deepen ties with Moscow and Beijing, and the West tightens sanctions, Africa’s geopolitical landscape is being redrawn. The question now is not whether these alliances will hold, but how far the dominoes will fall.