Romanian Ambassador’s Racist Comparison

According to the Romanian foreign ministry, the ambassador of Romania to Kenya, Dragos Viorel Tigau, who allegedly made a comparison between a monkey and Africans during a meeting in Nairobi, has been summoned back to Romania. The incident occurred on April 26 at a United Nations building in Nairobi when a monkey appeared at the conference room window. Tigau reportedly said, “The African Group has joined us,” as noted by the South Sudanese embassy in Kenya. Chol Ajong’o, the South Sudanese ambassador and leader of African diplomats in Nairobi, expressed strong condemnation for the insulting and racist remarks.

The Romanian foreign ministry was informed about the incident only recently and subsequently initiated the process of recalling their ambassador. They expressed deep regret and offered apologies to those affected, emphasizing that racist behavior or comments are completely unacceptable. Tigau has apologized, including in writing, and this statement was communicated to African ambassadors in Bucharest on June 9. The Romanian foreign ministry hopes that this incident will not negatively impact their relationship with African countries.

The meeting in question was attended by 21 delegations, with eight present in person and 13 participating online, according to The Daily Nation, a Kenyan newspaper. Kenyan diplomat Macharia Kamau expressed his strong disapproval and disgust towards the incident.