For decades, the Group of 20 served as the primary shorthand for global stability. It was the room where the established powers of the West sat alongside the rising engines of the Global South to manage the world economy. It was a forum built on the assumption that economic interdependency could override ideological friction.

However, as 2026 begins, that assumption has been discarded in favor of a much more volatile reality. The decision by the United States to effectively move toward a “New G20” by excluding South Africa from the upcoming summit in Miami is not merely a diplomatic snub. It is a fundamental break in the post-cold war order, signaling that the era of multi-alignment is being replaced by a system of ideological litmus tests.

The fracture reached a breaking point in late 2025. Following a year of escalating tension, the White House announced that South Africa would not be invited to the December 2026 Leaders’ Summit. The justification offered by the State Department was as startling as the act itself. Rather than citing traditional economic metrics, officials pointed to South Africa’s domestic policies and its independent foreign policy as evidence that it is no longer a worthy partner. The formal introduction of Poland into the group, framed as a replacement for South Africa, completes a symbolic pivot. Washington is no longer seeking a representative global steering committee; it is seeking a coalition of the like-minded.

This development is the culmination of a year where the “white genocide” narrative, once confined to the fringes of the far right, became a pillar of American foreign policy toward Africa. Throughout 2025, the U.S.........

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