فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States will no longer provide aid or assistance to South Africa, fulfilling his earlier threat to cut aid in protest of a land expropriation law he described as discriminatory against white farmers.
Trump characterized the law as allowing “the South African government to seize agricultural properties from the Afrikaner ethnic minority without compensation,” in an executive order that freezes any funding as long as the South African government continues its “unjust and immoral practices.”
Trump also referenced South Africa’s accusation of genocide against Israel for its war in Gaza and the strengthening of relations between Pretoria and Iran.
In the order, Trump wrote, “The United States cannot support the South African government when it violates rights in its country or undermines U.S. foreign policy.”
Trump also pledged in the order to provide assistance for the “resettlement” of individuals who believe they have been subjected to “unjust racial discrimination.”
Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa and has become close to Trump, accused his home country of having “openly racist property laws” on his social media platform, X.
Land Issue: A Contentious Topic in South Africa
The land issue remains a contentious topic in South Africa, where the majority of land is still owned by the white minority, a legacy of expropriation policies that targeted black populations during apartheid and colonialism.
In response to Trump’s decision, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in his annual State of the Nation address on Thursday that his country “will not be intimidated by anyone.”
It is worth noting that Trump had previously announced the suspension of U.S. foreign aid on his inauguration day, January 20, to conduct a comprehensive review of such aid for 90 days. However, this time he is directly targeting South Africa by blocking any future funding and ruling out the possibility of an exemption.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also stated on Wednesday that he would not attend the G20 meeting scheduled in South Africa on February 20-21, accusing the country of “anti-Americanism” and engaging in “very bad things.”
