Romania's ambassador to Kenya, Dragos Viorel Tigau, has been recalled by the Romanian foreign ministry following allegations of making derogatory remarks comparing Africans to monkeys.
The incident occurred during a meeting at a United Nations building in Nairobi on April 26 when a monkey appeared at the window of the conference room.
Tigau's reported comment, "The African group has joined us," has sparked outrage and condemnation from African diplomats.
News of the ambassador's offensive remark spread quickly, and African diplomats swiftly voiced their condemnation during a subsequent meeting with Eastern European envoys in April.
Chol Ajong'o, South Sudan's ambassador to Kenya and leader of the African diplomats in Nairobi, expressed the group's strong disapproval in writing, describing the remarks as "insulting, racist, and degrading."
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“The African Group would like to condemn in strongest terms possible the insulting, racist and degrading utterances,” wrote Chol Ajong’o.
The Romanian foreign ministry, in response to the incident, stated that it had only recently become aware of the April occurrence.
"We deeply regret this situation and offer our apologies to all those who have been affected," the ministry expressed, emphasizing that racist behaviour or comments are "absolutely unacceptable."
The ministry further conveyed that Tigau had issued an apology, including a written one. This statement was communicated to African ambassadors in Bucharest on June 9.
Despite the regret expressed by the Romanian foreign ministry, the incident has raised concerns about the potential impact on the relationship between Romania and African countries.
In an attempt to address this, the ministry stated, "We hope that the incident will not affect the relationship with the countries of the African continent."
The meeting in which the controversial remark was made was attended by 21 delegations, with eight present in person and 13 participating online.
The incident has sparked outrage within diplomatic circles, prompting strong reactions from Kenyan diplomats.
Macharia Kamau, a Kenyan diplomat, expressed his profound dismay at those sorry remarks saying they were intolerable and unacceptable.
"Appalled & disgusted at learning of remarks by Romanian Amb in Nairobi in reference to African Group members as monkeys during Eastern European group meeting. Utter shame attempts to cover up this disgrace. This intolerable & unacceptable in any Age let alone 21 Century in Nairobi!," Kamau said.
As the fallout from this regrettable incident unfolds, both Romania and Kenya are left to address the repercussions on their diplomatic relations.
The incident serves as a stark reminder that respect and cultural sensitivity must remain at the forefront of diplomatic discourse, regardless of the circumstances.
The hope now lies in fostering a spirit of understanding and reconciliation between the two nations, moving forward from this unfortunate incident.
