South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to make peace with U.S. President Donald Trump after a recent dispute over land policies and a legal case against Israel.
Reuters reports that Trump recently cut financial aid to South Africa because he disagreed with its approach to land reform and its involvement in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel, a key U.S. ally.
According to Reuters, Ramaphosa spoke at a conference in Johannesburg, organized by U.S. bank Goldman Sachs, where he said he wanted the situation to calm down before taking action.
But in the long run, Reuters explains, his goal is to visit Washington and repair relations. “We don’t want to just explain ourselves,” Ramaphosa said, as quoted by Reuters. “We want to make a real deal with the U.S. on different issues.”
Reuters notes that Ramaphosa did not give details about what kind of deal he hopes to make, but he suggested it could include trade, politics, and diplomacy.
While South Africa does not heavily rely on U.S. financial aid, Reuters highlights that some experts worry Trump might remove the country from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows certain African nations to trade with the U.S. under special terms.
South Africa tries to stay neutral in global politics, Reuters reports, avoiding siding too much with the U.S., China, or Russia. However, Trump sees the ICJ case against Israel as proof that South Africa is acting against U.S. interests. Reuters points out that this disagreement is now creating tension between the two nations.
Despite the challenges, Reuters quotes Ramaphosa as saying he is eager to maintain a good relationship with Trump.
Whether a deal will actually happen remains to be seen, but Reuters suggests that South Africa may have to make strategic decisions to balance its global partnerships while keeping its trade benefits with the U.S.
Credit : Reuters