By Emmanuel Nduka
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has landed Kenya to kick-start his official visit to Africa, and has immediately called for the preservation of democracy and inclusion in politically and ethnically fractured societies, amid worsening crises in neighboring Ethiopia and Sudan.
Blinken’s visit to Kenya is the commencement of a three-nation African tour which will also see him visit Nigeria and Senegal.
Kenya, a country with its own turbulent history of democracy, will face another test of stability in a Presidential election next year.
Before meeting President Uhuru Kenyatta and other senior Kenyan officials, Blinken spoke with civic leaders about the importance of combating what he termed “democratic recession” around the world, including challenges in the United States that show “just how fragile our democracy can be.”
“This is an important time. Around the world, we’ve seen we’ve seen over the last decade or so what some have called ‘democratic recession.
“Even vibrant democracies like Kenya are experiencing these pressures, especially around election time,” he told a small group of human rights, labor and anti-corruption advocates at a Nairobi hotel.
The US Secretary is also looking to boost thus-far unsuccessful US diplomatic efforts to resolve the deepening conflicts in Ethiopia and in Sudan, and to counter growing insurgencies elsewhere, like Somalia.
His visit to Africa comes after months of President Joe Biden’s administration attempts to ease both situations that have yet to bear fruit despite frequent lower-level interventions.
