Romania has recalled its ambassador to Kenya, Dragos Tigau, and issued an apology after he made racist comments comparing Africans to monkeys. The incident occurred during a meeting at a UN building in Nairobi on April 26.
According to the AFP news agency, Tigau remarked 'the African group has joined us' upon seeing a monkey outside a window. Kenyan foreign affairs official Kamau Macharia publicly condemned the remarks on Twitter, stating he was 'appalled and disgusted' and alleging attempts to cover up the incident.
African diplomats demanded a public apology, rejecting a private apology as insufficient. Romania's foreign affairs ministry said it was only informed of the incident this week and has initiated a recall procedure. The ministry expressed deep regret and stressed that racist behaviour is 'completely unacceptable'.
This is not the first time Romanian diplomats have caused embarrassment. In 2014, the ambassador to Armenia was recalled for anti-Semitic jokes and questioning same-sex relationships. In 2015, invitations to a Paris embassy reception accidentally included unflattering descriptions of guests.
