In the wake of his remarks, Romania has decided to recall its Ambassador to Kenya, Dragos Tigau, after he compared Africans to monkeys.
The comments were made during a meeting at a UN building in Nairobi, Kenya. After seeing a monkey outside the window during the meeting, Tigau said "the African group has joined us."
The comments have been widely condemned by members of the diplomatic community in Kenya. Romania's foreign ministry released a statement saying that those comments were "totally unacceptable and incompatible with the principles of the Romanian Foreign Ministry and of our country."
The Romanian government has since recalled Tigau and has named a new ambassador to Kenya. Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila released a statement during a press conference in Bucharest, saying that "the ambassador’s comments were not representative of Romania’s values and attitudes towards other countries. We take this incident very seriously. Ambassador Tigau’s remarks do not reflect the views of our government."
The Ministry added that Romania will continue to work with African countries and maintain its high level of cooperation.
Tigau has since apologized for the comments in a statement made on social media. He said that he was "painfully aware of the gravity of the words I used and I apologize deeply. This was a serious mistake and I accept responsibility for my negligence."
The incident has highlighted, once again, the need for diplomacy and respect when intercultural dialogue is undertaken. It is important for ambassadors of other countries to remember that cultures and perspectives are to be respected and celebrated, and not belittled. This incident is a reminder that being a diplomat requires more than just representing a country. It also requires respect for other cultures and countries.
