Romania recalls ambassador to Kenya after racist monkey slur

Romania is recalling its ambassador to Kenya after the diplomat allegedly made a comment equating Africans to monkeys at a meeting in Nairobi.

“Any racist behavior or comments are absolutely unacceptable,” the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest said in a statement Saturday. The ministry has “initiated the procedure of recalling” Ambassador Dragos Viorel Tigau from his post in Kenya, according to the statement.

The ministry “deeply regrets this situation, apologizes to all those affected and strongly rejects and condemns any behavior and any attitude incompatible with mutual respect,” the statement reads further.

The move came in reaction to allegations that Tigau said “the African group has joined us” after a black monkey appeared at the window of the conference room ahead of a meeting. The incident took place at a UN building in the Kenyan capital on April 26.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry said it had only been informed of the incident last week and Tigau was recalled as soon as the government found out. The ambassador has apologized after the incident, including in writing, according to the ministry.

Kenyan diplomat Macharia Kamau said in a tweet that the remarks “appalled and disgusted” him. “This intolerable and unacceptable,” he added.

The Romanian government “hopes that the incident will not affect the relationship with the countries of the African continent,” the Foreign Ministry said in its statement.