Tom Gardner

Tom Gardner is an Africa correspondent for the Economist, based in Nairobi. He was based in Ethiopia from 2016-2022.

Articles by Tom Gardner
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sits and an outdoor event.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sits and an outdoor event.

The Many Faces of Abiy Ahmed

Excerpt
Tom Gardner
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed looks on at the House of Peoples Representatives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Nov. 30, 2020.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed looks on at the House of Peoples Representatives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Nov. 30, 2020.

All Is Not Quiet on Ethiopia’s Western Front

Argument
Tom Gardner
A man enters a polling station on the day of Tigray's regional elections, on Sept. 9, 2020 in Mekelle.
A man enters a polling station on the day of Tigray's regional elections, on Sept. 9, 2020 in Mekelle.

Is Ethiopia Headed for Civil War?

Dispatch
Tom Gardner
Members of the Ethiopian army carry a coffin at the national funeral service of Gen. Seare Mekonnen, the chief of staff of the Ethiopian defense forces, and Maj. Gen. Gezae Abera in Addis Ababa on June 25, 2019.
Members of the Ethiopian army carry a coffin at the national funeral service of Gen. Seare Mekonnen, the chief of staff of the Ethiopian defense forces, and Maj. Gen. Gezae Abera in Addis Ababa on June 25, 2019.

Political Violence Could Derail Ethiopia’s Democratic Transition

Dispatch
Tom Gardner, Lule Estifanos
Ethiopia's Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Abiy Ahmed (R) and his wife, Zinash Tayachew, wave to the crowd from the balcony of the Grand Hotel in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2019
Ethiopia's Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Abiy Ahmed (R) and his wife, Zinash Tayachew, wave to the crowd from the balcony of the Grand Hotel in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2019

Will Abiy Ahmed’s Bet on Ethiopia’s Political Future Pay Off?

Review
Tom Gardner
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on October 30, 2018 in Berlin.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on October 30, 2018 in Berlin.

Abiy Ahmed Is Not a Populist

Argument
Tom Gardner
Anti-government protesters demonstrate in Bishoftu, Ethiopia on Oct. 1, 2017. (Zacharias Abubeker/AFP/Getty Images)
Anti-government protesters demonstrate in Bishoftu, Ethiopia on Oct. 1, 2017. (Zacharias Abubeker/AFP/Getty Images)

Ethiopia’s Great Rift

Dispatch
Tom Gardner
ZALA ANBESSA, ETHIOPIA: An Ethiopian soldier mans an observation post facing the Temporary Security Zone on the Eritrean border at the northern town of Zala Anbessa in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, 19 November 2005. The United Nations mission to the Horn of Africa on Friday reported increasing movement of troops along the tense border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. UN Mission spokeswoman Gail Bindley-Taylor-Sainte said the situation along the frontier "remains tense and potentially volatile." AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI (Photo credit should read MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)
ZALA ANBESSA, ETHIOPIA: An Ethiopian soldier mans an observation post facing the Temporary Security Zone on the Eritrean border at the northern town of Zala Anbessa in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, 19 November 2005. The United Nations mission to the Horn of Africa on Friday reported increasing movement of troops along the tense border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. UN Mission spokeswoman Gail Bindley-Taylor-Sainte said the situation along the frontier "remains tense and potentially volatile." AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI (Photo credit should read MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)

The Rehabilitation of Africa’s Most Isolated Dictatorship

Dispatch
Tom Gardner
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