Cape Town: Expelled South African Ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool has returned home, declaring he has 'no regrets' despite his abrupt departure. Rasool arrived in Cape Town following a 32-hour flight from the US via Qatar.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rasool expressed his disappointment at not securing agreements with the US but emphasized his stance against allowing the US to dictate South Africa's diplomatic relationships. Addressing a local audience, Rasool stated, "But we could not do so by allowing the US to choose who must be our friends and who must be our enemies."

Rasool conveyed the challenges he faced in dispelling the narrative of a 'white genocide' in South Africa. He also highlighted that South Africa's stance on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was influenced by its commitment to pursuing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He asserted, "Because as we stand here, the bombing has continued and the shooting has continued, and if South Africa was not in the ICJ, Israel would not be exposed, and the Palestinians would have no hope."

In his address, Rasool clarified that his return did not signify an anti-American sentiment. He emphasized the importance of rebuilding and resetting relations with the US, despite his expulsion. "We come here even after being declared persona non grata. We still come here and say, we must rebuild and we must reset the relationship with America," Rasool stated.

Rasool further stressed the need for a nuanced approach to diplomatic representation, rejecting the idea of matching ambassadors by race with the US president. He said, "We have this relationship that we must reset and we must rebuild."

The expulsion followed Rasool's comments during a webinar, where he criticized former US President Donald Trump's policies as a "white supremacist response to growing demographic diversity in the United States." This has heightened tensions between Washington and Pretoria, compounded by Trump's executive order cutting financial assistance to South Africa over its land expropriation law, the genocide case against Israel, and closer ties with Iran.