The Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that it had recalled Romania’s ambassador to Kenya, Dragos Viorel Cigau, after the diplomat was at the center of a racism scandal. The State Department said he apologized in writing, and CNN obtained two letters he provided to African officials.

Viorel Tigau (right)Photo: Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP / Profimedia

HotNews.ro reported on Friday night about the scandal involving Dragos Viorel Szygau, after the African press reported that the ambassador had made racist comments in April during a meeting at the United Nations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told HotNews.ro on Saturday morning that it became aware of the incident on the evening of June 8, and the diplomat was immediately recalled from his post.

It all started when, during talks with a group of diplomats from Eastern Europe, the Romanian ambassador allegedly said that “an African group has joined us” after noticing a black monkey nearby, writes KenyanForeignPolicy.com.

Dragos Viorel Sigau did not notify the ministry of the incident in which he was involved, as required by regulation, even though the incident took place at the end of April, as reported by the African press.

The letters in which the diplomat apologized were obtained by CNN, which reports that African diplomats formally condemned Qigau’s comments at the UN office in the Kenyan capital.

“The African group would like to condemn in the strongest possible terms the offensive, racist and demeaning statements,” said Chol Ajongo, South Sudan’s ambassador to Kenya, who heads African diplomats in Nairobi.

According to CNN, the letters in which Sigau apologized were sent four days apart.

The diplomat explained that he made inappropriate comments during a “long meeting during which there was a heated debate” and tried to “defuse the atmosphere”, but later retracted that part.

And CNN notes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became aware of the incident that happened at the end of April on June 8.

In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided clarification on the measures taken against the ambassador following the report of the scandal in the African press, which was picked up by the Romanian media.