First day of Blinken's Africa tour marred by crackdown on protesters in Sudan

State of play: In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has faced accusations of government-sanctioned ethnic cleansing and mass sexual violence against the Tigrayan people. Some State Department officials have pushed to declare the actions a genocide.

• In Sudan, a recent coup wiped out hopes of moving toward democratic elections. Abdalla Hamdok, the country’s civilian leader, has remained under house arrest for more than three weeks.
• In Somalia, disputes over a long-awaited election erupted into violence in the capital. Meanwhile, the al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab has wrested control of most rural regions and attacked cities almost daily.
• In Kenya, locals duel with fear of both al-Shabab and the country's military, who residents say commit extrajudicial killings against ethnic Somalis, according to the Washington Post.
• And in Nigeria, human rights groups say authorities continue to intimidate and harass people who organized against SARS, a police unit with a long record of abuses that was finally disbanded after years of protests, BBC reports.

What he's saying: "We are deeply concerned about escalating violence, the expansion of fighting throughout the country and what we see as a growing risk to the unity of and integrity of the state," Blinken said about Ethiopia at a news conference on Wednesday. "Regardless of what we call it, it needs to stop."

• "There needs to be accountability, and we are determined there will be," he added.

• Warning of a global "democratic recession," he noted that "even vibrant democracies like Kenya are experiencing these pressures, especially around election time."
• "The United States is hardly immune from this challenge,” Blinken said. "We’ve seen how fragile our own democracy can be."

Worth noting: The U.S. has imposed sanctions on some Ethiopian officials and withdrawn security assistance, per the Post.

Don't forget: The Biden administration's top foreign policy officials skipped Africa and prioritized Asia in early trips.

What to watch: Blinken is expected to travel to Nigeria later this week, where he. will give a speech on U.S.-Africa relations. He'll also visit Senegal during the five-day trip.