Romania has issued an apology and recalled its ambassador to Kenya, Dragos Tigau, after he made derogatory comments comparing Africans to monkeys.
The incident occurred during a meeting at a UN building in Nairobi on April 26th when Mr.
Tigau saw a monkey outside the window and said “the African group has joined us.” Kenyan foreign affairs official Kamau Macharia revealed the incident on Twitter, stating that he was “appalled and disgusted” by Mr.
Tigau’s behavior and that attempts were made to cover it up.
African diplomats have demanded a public apology from Romania, insisting that a private apology is not enough.
On Saturday, Romania announced that it had only been informed of the incident this week and had begun “a procedure to recall its ambassador.” The country’s foreign affairs ministry released a statement expressing deep regret for the situation and offering apologies to those affected.
It also emphasized that any behaviors or comments of a racist nature are completely unacceptable.
Romania mainly engages with African nations through its membership of the European Union but has bilateral trade deals with Egypt among others.
The Kenyan government has not commented on the decision to recall Mr.
Romanian media outlets have criticized his behavior, noting that this is not the first time diplomats from their country have caused embarrassment due to insulting remarks.
In 2014, Romania’s ambassador to Armenia was recalled after making anti-Semitic jokes about Jewish bosses and questioning same-sex relationships’ morality.
The following year, Bucharest apologized after invitations to a reception at its Paris embassy accidentally included unflattering descriptions of some guests – labeling them “ghastly” and “undesirable,” among other things.
The incident involving Mr.
Tigau highlights the need for diplomatic officials always to maintain professionalism while representing their countries abroad.
Any form of racism or discrimination should be condemned as unacceptable in today’s world.
