Romania’s ambassador to Kenya has been recalled after comparing a monkey with Africans during a meeting in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
Dragos Viorel Tigau was at a United Nations office in Nairobi on April 26 when a monkey appeared at the window of the conference room he was sitting in.
“The African Group has joined us,” Tigau said, as recounted in a note from South Sudan’s embassy in Kenya.
“The African Group would like to condemn in strongest terms possible the insulting, racist and degrading utterances,” said Chol Ajong’o, South Sudan’s ambassador to Kenya.
Ironically, South Sudan has been the site of ethnic genocide and a savage civil war, with members of its largest ethnic group, the Dinka, killing other ethnic groups such as the Nuer, the Shilluk, the Moru, the Dongotonu, the Kuku, the Lotuko, and the Avukaya, and members of its second largest ethnic group, the Nuer, killing Dinka. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in ethnic violence in South Sudan.
So South Sudan is a far more racist place than Romania. Romania has not criticized South Sudan for racism.
Romania said yesterday it had only been informed of the racially offensive comments last week, after which it “began a procedure to recall its ambassador”.
“We deeply regret this situation and offer our apologies to all those who have been affected,” said the Romanian foreign ministry, declaring that offensive comment was “absolutely unacceptable”. Ambassador Tigau “presented his apology, including in writing”, it added. It said it “hopes that the incident will not affect the relationship with the countries of the African continent.”
The meeting at which the comment occurred was attended by 21 African delegations – eight in person and 13 online.
Kenyan diplomat Macharia Kamau said the comment “appalled and disgusted” him.
