Phone: +44 (0)28 9097 2526

Email: a.f.thomson@qub.ac.uk

Research Profile

Andrew Thomson holds a PhD from the University of Kent. He is part of the Centre for the Study of Ethnic Conflict and a fellow at the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.  Externally, he is on the executive council of the Conflict Research Society Conflict Research Society (CRS).

Research Interests

Andrew Thomson’s research interests reside in the area of peace and conflict. In particular, his research focuses on ""pro-government"" militias , dynamics of violence in civil war, counterinsurgency and irregular warfare  and the Colombian peace process. These broad research interests are divided into four strands. First, Andrew examines the effects pro-government militias various dynamics of violence during civil conflict.  IN particular he is currently interested in the long-term outcomes of militias and/or how militias end.  He is currently working on a series of publications on peace negotiations with militias.  Secondly, he also focuses on the current peace process in Colombia in the context of multiple armed groups. He completed a project funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund on how FARC members’ interactions with other armed organizations influenced their disarmament process. He is currently working on a project examining negotiations between the government and the AUC in 2003 at Santa Fe de Ralito and what lessons these might offer us for negotiating with these types of actors worldwide.  This also focuses on partial peace and the move to “total peace” in Colombia.  Third, he focuses on the role of militias and mercenaries in US foreign policy. His book, ""Outsourced Empire: How Militias, Mercenaries and Contractors Support US Statecraft"", examined US support to various non-state armed forces in US interventions around the world. He just finished a co-authored book titled ""A Short History of the War on Terror"".  Finally, Andrew is interested in various approaches to peace and measurements of peacefulness. Andrew leads a collaboration between Queen’s University Belfast and the Institute for Economics for Peace to create a Northern Ireland Peace Index, the first measure of positive peacefulness in the region.  

Andrew also works with the Umain organization in Colombia and the Conflict Research Society.  He hosted the annual Conflict Research Society conference at QUB in September 2022.

Andrew is open to considering supervision of PhD projects around those conflict analysis, political violence, peace, and US Foreign Policy.

Teaching

Andrew is the Director of the MA in Violence, Terrorism and Security. Andrew teaches on a variety of classes at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels: PAI 2055 Security and Terrorism; PAI 3038 US Foreign Policy; PAI 7007 Global Terrorism; PAI 7028 Violence, Terrorism and Security. He also contributes regularly to a variety of other classes in areas such as conflict intervention, conflict transformation and peace processes, international security, international relations, among others and specialist classes such as at the Institute for Global Peace Security and Justice Summer School.

Ongoing Projects

Andrew recently applied for UKRI funding for project titled Positive Peace in Northern Ireland: A Northern Irish Peace Index. This project generates the first ever Northern Irish Peace Index (NIPI): an empirical, data-led, quantitative measurement of negative and positive peacefulness in Northern Ireland over time. Using the NIPI, we will conduct workshops with The Executive Office of Northern Ireland (TEO), the civil service, and non-government organisations to integrate positive peace into Northern Irish peacebuilding strategies.

Andrew's project ""Negotiating with your Allies? Lessons from the Government-AUC peace negotiations of 2003-2004"" explores negotiations with militias in Colombia in a comparative perspective to better understand policies and approaches to peace with these types of violent actors.

Books

Thomson, A. and Biegon, R. 2025. A Short History of the War on Terror. Agenda Press. 

Thomson, A., 2018. Outsourced empire: How militias, mercenaries, and contractors support US statecraft. Pluto Press.

Peer Reviewed Articles and Book Chapters

Thomson, A., 2023. Civilian Defense Forces and Violence Against Civilians. In Militias, States and Violence against Civilians (pp. 55-76) edited by Johnson, P. L. and Wittels, W. (eds.). Routledge.

Thomson, A., 2023. “El proceso de desarme y la percepción de inseguridad por parte de los guerrilleros que declinaron las armas tras el Acuerdo de Paz en Colombia” in Balances y perspectivas del cumplimiento del Acuerdo de Paz en Colombia (2016-2022). Edited by Ugalde Zubiri, A. and Iratxe Perea Ozerin. Bilbao: Universidad del País Vasco, p. 233-256, 01 Feb 2023 

Thomson, A., and Pankhurst, D., 2022. From control to conflict: a spectrum and framework for understanding government-militia relationships. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, pp.1-22. Early online 11 September 2022, https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2116972 

Thomson A., 2022. “US Support for “Civilian Defense” Paramilitaries in Iraq and Afghanistan” chapter in Paramilitary Groups and the State Under Globalization: Political violence, elites and security edited by Jasmin Hristov, Jeb Sprague-Silgado and Aaron Tauss. Pp. 183-201. London: Routledge, 2022. 

Thomson A., 2020. “The Credible Commitment Problem and Multiple Armed Groups: FARC Perceptions of Insecurity during Disarmament in the Colombian Peace Process” Conflict, Security and Development. Online First 27 July 2020. 

Abbs, L., Clayton, G. and Thomson, A., 2020. The ties that bind: Ethnicity, pro-government militia, and the dynamics of violence in civil war. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 64(5), pp.903-932. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002719883684

Thomson, A. 2019. “Ethnic Conflict and Militias” in The Palgrave Handbook of Ethnicity edited by Steven Ratuva.  New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2019.  10.1007/978-981-13-0242-8_41-1

Maher, D. and Thomson, A., 2018. A precarious peace? The threat of paramilitary violence to the peace process in Colombia. Third World Quarterly, 39(11), pp.2142-2172. 

Clayton, G. and Thomson, A., 2016. Civilianizing civil conflict: civilian defense militias and the logic of violence in intrastate conflict. International Studies Quarterly, 60(3), pp.499-510.

Reports and Other Publications

Thomson, A., 2024 “Co-designing positive peace: a refreshed and evolved approach to good relations (discovery phase). A report for the NI Executive Office and NI Civil Service” Northern Ireland Executive Office for the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy. 15 March 2024. 

Thomson, A., 2023. “Measuring, Monitoring, and Evaluating Good Community Relations: A Report for the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Review” Report submitted to the Northern Irish Executive Office and Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy. 31 March 2023.

Thomson, A., 2022 “Negotiating with militias and criminal groups: What the Colombian government negotiations with paramilitary groups can tell us about possible peace talks with Clan del Golfo/AGC”  QPOL publication, 15 August 2022:  http://qpol.qub.ac.uk/negotiating-with-militias-and-criminal-groups-what-the-colombian-government-negotiations-with-paramilitary-groups-can-tell-us-about-possible-peace-talks-with-clan-del-golfo-agc/