US claims South Africa 'harassing' its officials working with Afrikaners after Kenyans' deportation

Washington said on Thursday that South Africa was harassing US government employees working with Afrikaners, the white minority to whom President Donald Trump is granting refugee status.

The State Department said that passport information of US officials was leaked and warned in a statement that "failure by the South African government to hold those responsible accountable will result in severe consequences."

South Africa on Wednesday arrested and expelled seven Kenyans brought in by the US government to assist in processing Afrikaners seeking to move to the United States.

South Africa said that the Kenyans were on tourist visas that did not allow them to work – the type of violation seized on by Trump as he carries out mass deportations from the United States.

Pretoria said no US officials were arrested

The State Department alleged that Americans had also been briefly held, which it said that the United States "condemns in the strongest terms." It added that officials' passport information had been made public.

Revealing personal information "is an unacceptable form of harassment" and puts people in harm's way, the State Department said.

The department did not immediately provide further details on the purported incident.

South Africa earlier said that no US officials were arrested in the raid, which was not carried out at a diplomatic site.

G20 exclusion

Trump has repeatedly attacked South Africa's post-apartheid government over what he calls persecution of the Afrikaners, an allegation that the South African government denies.

The State Department, in a separate statement on Thursday, confirmed it did not invite South Africa to an initial meeting on planning next year's Group of 20 summit, the first time a member of the bloc is being excluded.