Dragos Viorel Tigau reportedly compared a monkey to Africans while attending a meeting in Nairobi.
The Romanian ambassador to Kenya who allegedly compared a monkey to Africans during a meeting in the capital has been recalled, the Romanian foreign ministry said.
Dragos Viorel Tigau was in a United Nations building in Nairobi on April 26 when a monkey appeared outside the conference room window.
“The African Group has joined us,” Tigau said, according to a note from the South Sudanese embassy in Kenya, seen by AFP news agency.
“The African Group wishes to condemn the abusive, racist and degrading statements in the strongest terms,” wrote Chol Ajong’o, the South Sudanese ambassador to Kenya who heads African diplomats in Nairobi.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it was only made aware of the incident this week, after which it “started a procedure to recall its ambassador”.
“We deeply regret this situation and apologize to all those affected,” it added, saying any racist behavior or comments were “absolutely unacceptable”.
Tigau “apologised, including in writing,” the ministry said, adding that his statement was communicated to African ambassadors in Bucharest on June 9.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry “hopes that the incident will not affect relations with the countries of the African continent,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by 21 delegations — eight in person and 13 online, according to Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation.
Kenyan diplomat Macharia Kamau said the episode “appalled and disgusted” him.
“Utter shame tries to cover up this shame. This [is] unbearable and unacceptable in any age let alone the 21st century,” he wrote on Twitter.
Appalled and disgusted to hear comments from Romania’s Amb in Nairobi about African group members being monkeys at Eastern European group meetings. Utter shame tries to cover up this shame. This unbearable and unacceptable in any age let alone 21st century Nairobi!
— Amb. Macharia Kamau (@AmbMKamau) June 8, 2023
According to The Standard newspaper, some African diplomats have called for a public apology for the slander.