Doha: The White House: The White House announced that President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting financial aid to South Africa, citing its land policies and its genocide case against the Israeli entity at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to Qatar News Agency, Washington will also develop a plan to resettle South African farmers and their families as refugees. It described Pretoria’s lawsuit against Israel at the ICJ as an example of its adversarial stance toward the US and its allies.
The executive order, it added, will also address human rights issues in South Africa. Trump previously threatened to cut funding to the country shortly after taking office, alleging without evidence that it was seizing land and that “certain groups of people” were being treated “very badly.” In response, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa defended his government’s land policies, stating that no land had been confiscated and that the goal was to ensure fair land distribution.
Washington also voiced strong opposition to South Africa’s case at the ICJ, in which it accuses Israel of genocide over its military assault on Gaza. The war has resulted in more than 160,000 casualties, including those killed and injured, and triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.