US secretary of state appeals for preservation of democracy in Africa

NAIROBI, KENYA » U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday appealed for the preservation of democracy in politically and ethnically fractured societies as he began his first official visit to Africa amid worsening crises in Ethiopia and Sudan.

In a lengthy private meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and other top officials, Blinken hailed Kenya’s role in seeking to ease the conflict in Ethiopia and cited Kenya as an example of a vibrant, inclusive democracy despite challenges it has faced in its own recent elections.

Kenyatta visited the Ethiopian capital over the weekend in a bid to bolster an African Union-led mediation initiative to end the violence that has engulfed the northern Tigray region and spread, prompting widespread fears of a spillover in the conflict.

The State Department said Blinken spent 90 minutes with Kenyatta in a session scheduled for only 10 minutes and that the talks were wide-ranging. The precise topics and any potential developments were not immediately clear.

“We continue to see atrocities being committed, people suffering, and regardless of what we call it, it needs to stop and there needs to be accountability,” Blinken later told reporters. He said he will make a determination on whether the situation in Ethiopia is genocide “once we get all the analysis that goes into looking at the facts.”

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo told reporters that “we believe that a cease-fire is possible” but “in the end, these solutions” will come from the Ethiopian people.

In comments to Kenyan civic leaders, Blinken spoke about the importance of combating “democratic recession” around the world, including challenges in the United States that show “just how fragile our democracy can be.” Kenya faces its own test of stability in a presidential election next year.

Blinken is looking to boost thus-far unsuccessful U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the deepening conflicts in Ethiopia and in Sudan and to counter growing insurgencies elsewhere, including Somalia.

Months of engagement by the Biden administration have produced little progress and, instead, the conflict in Ethiopia has escalated between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and leaders in the northern Tigray region who once dominated the government.