KEY POINTS
- The U.S. expelled Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, giving him 72 hours to leave.
- Rasool’s comments during a webinar led to his expulsion.
- Pretoria is arranging Rasool’s return and seeking a replacement.
In response to remarks he made during a recent webinar, the United States has given South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool 72 hours to depart the nation.
U.S. gives Rasool 72 hours to leave after remarks
Pretoria is currently setting up Rasool’s return and trying to find a replacement after he was expelled on Friday.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola’s spokeswoman, Chrispin Phiri, said News24 that arrangements were being made for Rasool’s return.
“We are facilitating Ambassador Rasool’s return because he has 72 hours to leave the United States,” Phiri stated. “Pretoria will then determine the best course of action and take care of his replacement.”
According to New Zimbabwe, Rasool is anticipated to debrief with Pretoria when he returns to South Africa.
According to Phiri, the South African mission in the United States provided formal confirmation of the deportation late Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ejected Rasool, who returned to Washington in December as South Africa’s ambassador. Rasool was previously President Barack Obama’s ambassador from 2010 until 2015.
Rasool “is no longer welcome in our great country” and has been deemed persona non grata by the United States, according to a tweet made by Rubio on X (previously Twitter).
Rasool’s webinar comments spark diplomatic fallout
Rasool was expelled after he accused the Trump administration of supremacist remarks he made during a webinar organized by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection.
Phiri called the expulsion unfortunate, pointing out that it hampered constructive diplomatic progress.
However, Phiri stated, “We are committed to making sure that our relationship with the United States continues to be mutually respectful and advantageous.” “It is crucial that we have a qualified and approved replacement for Ambassador Rasool.”
Additionally, he voiced worries about the lack of adherence to the diplomatic procedure, stating that before designating Rasool persona non grata, the United States might have engaged him to understand the context of his words.
“As a sovereign state, we will respect their decision to choose a different process,” Phiri stated.
Lamola described the U.S. decision as “unprecedented and regrettable” in an interview with the SABC on Saturday.
Lamola stated, “It is unfortunate because Rasool was well along in his preparations for special envoys to restore relations.” “However, we think the two countries’ relationship is strategic and mutually beneficial, so we have to work with the current situation.”
Lamola criticized the strategy of publicly voicing concerns and underlined the necessity of direct diplomatic interaction.
“We must interact in a private setting where both parties can voice their concerns directly,” Lamola stated. “Twitter diplomacy and megaphone diplomacy are ineffective.”
