Dr Andrew Thomson
Lecturer
School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics (HAPP)
Dr Thomson’s research examines militias in civil wars such as in Colombia and the US sponsorship of paramilitary actors in the Middle East.
Dr Thomson’s interests reside primarily in the areas of conflict analysis, political violence, and US foreign policy with a focus on pro-government militias in counterinsurgency and “irregular” warfare. He focuses on the role of non-state armed actors such as militias and mercenaries in US foreign policy; examines the effects of mobilizing civilian self-defence forces/militias on the dynamics of violence in civil conflict; and is interested in the role of paramilitary forces or militias in the peace process in Colombia.
Field
Areas of Expertise
US counterinsurgency, US irregular warfare, US use of non-state armed actors, Militias in Colombia, Colombian peace process, militia actors in civil wars.
Media Experience
Dr Thomson has media experience, most notably with print media.
- The new U.S. plan in Afghanistan may add a local militia. That might be a bad idea, Washington Post Monkey Cage, December 2017
- The Real Test of the Colombian Peace Process in the Context of Multiple Warring Groups, QPOL, December 2016
Associated Research Centres / Projects
Contact Information
For more information or to book an interview, email comms.office@qub.ac.uk
Academic Profile