Pressure is mounting from some lawmakers in the United States to move the US/Africa Summit scheduled to hold in South Africa to a new venue.
The lawmakers in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and other senior officials, suggested South Africa was in danger of losing its benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) —Washington’s flagship trade programme.
The call is in response to what lawmakers regarded as the country’s “deepening military relationship” with Russia.
“We are seriously concerned that hosting the 2023 AGOA Forum in South Africa would serve as an implicit endorsement of South Africa’s damaging support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the letter stated.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was signed into law on May 18, 2000. The Act provides tangible incentives for African countries to continue their efforts to open their economies and build free markets.
South African government officials have reacted to the letter. The foreign ministry’s spokesman, Clayson Monyela stated that, “the State Department/White House has made no decision to relocate the AGOA Forum from SA.”
On its part, the South African Department of Trade and Industry, which manages the country’s trade relations with the United States, stated that it had no plans to publicly respond to the letter.
Defence relations between South Africa and Russia have been on the rise in recent years. In February, South Africa held a joint military exercise with Russia and China which was criticised by opposition figures, and the United States, with claims that the collaboration amounted to an endorsement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.