U.S. conspicuous by its absence at G-20 summit

Rift with South Africa may undercut agenda focusing on impact of global climate change.

- By GERALD IMRAY

INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a South African government official, on Friday in Pretoria ahead of the summit.

(KIM LUDBROOK Pool Photo)

World leaders arrived Friday for a historic first Group of 20 summit in Africa that aims to put the problems of poor countries at the top of the global agenda.

But the talks have been undermined by a rift between host South Africa and the United States over a Trump administration boycott.

The weekend summit in Johannesburg will be attended by delegations from 18 of the world’s richest and top developing economies — minus the U.S., which has branded South Africa's hosting a “disgrace” and won't participate in the talks.

The boycott by the world’s biggest economy and founding G-20 member was ordered by President Trump over his claims that majority-Black South Africa is persecuting its white Afrikaner minority.

Strong U.S. opposition threatens to undercut South Africa’s chosen agenda for the summit, where the host wants to focus world leaders’ attention on issues such as the impact of climate change on the developing world, debt burdens for poor countries and widening global inequality.

Months-long diplomatic tensions between the U.S. — which takes over the G-20 presidency after the summit — and South Africa worsened this week when South African officials said Washington was trying to pressure it to not issue a leaders’ declaration at the end of the summit in the absence of an American delegation.