U.S. Declares South African Ambassador ‘Persona Non Grata’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, “is no longer welcome” in the country. This declaration came through a post on X, wherein Rubio labeled Rasool a “race-baiting politician” who harbors animosity towards President Donald Trump, declaring him persona non grata.

Rubio did not elaborate on the reasons behind this declaration, and the State Department has not provided further details. It remains unclear whether Rasool is currently in the United States. Rubio made the announcement while returning to Washington from a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Quebec.

It is rare for the U.S. to expel a foreign ambassador, with lower-ranking diplomats more commonly receiving persona non grata status. Notably, during tense periods such as the U.S.-Russia diplomatic expulsions during the Cold War and subsequent crises, neither side opted to expel their respective ambassadors.

This recent decision follows an executive order signed by Trump, which halted aid to the South African government, led by a Black majority. In the order, Trump accused South Africa of targeting Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers, through a law permitting the expropriation of private land. The South African government refuted Trump’s claims, calling them misrepresentations and distortions.

Efforts to contact the South African Embassy for comment were unsuccessful, with calls made after business hours. Rasool previously served as ambassador from 2010 until 2015 before returning this year. His childhood experience of being evicted from a Cape Town neighborhood designated for whites motivated his activism against apartheid. Rasool is known for his close association with Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first post-apartheid president, and is a member of the African National Congress political party.

Trump suggested in his executive order that Afrikaners were facing land seizures under the new law. However, his administration’s claims have been challenged as no land has been expropriated under the legislation. Additionally, Trump proposed granting refugee status to Afrikaners fleeing South Africa, a minority group within the nation.

The Expropriation Act, passed earlier this year, allows the government to reclaim land in specific instances where it is deemed not in use or where such action would serve the public interest, aiming to rectify historical injustices when land was seized from Black South Africans.

Elon Musk, a known ally of Trump and CEO of Tesla, has cited the expropriation law in his social media posts, portraying it as a threat to South Africa’s white minority, drawing from his experiences growing up there.