Publications

Journal Articles

Pankhurst, D. and Thomson, A. (2026) ‘Militia Infiltration of the State: Loyalist Paramilitary Strategy in Northern Ireland’, Civil Wars. Accepted. Under publication process.

Pankhurst, D., 2025. Power, Perception, Group Relationships, and Conflict Dynamics: Loyalist Paramilitary Violence and Its Effects Within the Republic of Ireland During the Troubles, 1969–1998. Terrorism and Political Violence, pp.1-20. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09546553.2025.2482553

Pankhurst, D., 2025. What contributions do anti-insurgent militias produce during armed conflict? Exploring the capabilities of anti-insurgent militias in Colombia and the Philippines. Journal of Strategic Studies, pp.1-24. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01402390.2025.2487838?src=#infos-holder

Pankhurst, D., 2023. ‘When militias go ‘rogue’: explaining anti-government extremism in so-called ‘pro-nation-state’ militias in the United States of America and Ukraine. Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict, 16(3), pp.206-223.Available online at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17467586.2023.2219703?src=

 Thomson, A. and Pankhurst, D., 2022. From control to conflict: A spectrum and framework for understanding government-militia relationships. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 48(6), pp.674-695. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2116972#metrics-content 

Book Chapters

‘Chapter 6: Peace through Civil Society: The Case of Senegal & Northern Ireland’, in The Missing Peace: Understanding Entrepreneurship in Conflict Prevention and Resolution, by Melin, M. and Sosa, S. N.. Co-authored with Molly Melin. (Book contract with Oxford University Press accepted following peer-review recommendation that OUP publish the manuscript. Publication process to begin soon).

Book Reviews

Book review of UDR: Declassified by Micheal Smith in Irish Political Studies, 2022.

Other Papers and Publications

‘ Why Hamas’s rocket threat to Israel remains as deadly as ever’, gave expert commentary to The iPaper. Available at: https://inews.co.uk/news/why-hamass-rocket-threat-to-israel-remains-as-deadly-as-ever-3978098?srsltid=AfmBOoqyDlynkLF1UunpZvoQ8oaKFv7z0R5E-r1bJo-5RMIxQtAEPmVc

‘Hamas at a crossroads as the Gaza ceasefire deal comes into force’, The Conversation UK, 10th October 2025. Available at: https://theconversation.com/hamas-at-a-crossroads-as-the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-comes-into-force-267145

‘Russian Imperial Movement: how a far-right group outlawed by the UK is spreading terror across Europe’, The Conversation UK, 14th July 2025. Available at: https://theconversation.com/russian-imperial-movement-how-a-far-right-group-outlawed-by-the-uk-is-spreading-terror-across-europe-260825.

‘Colombia’s fragile peace process in danger as guerrilla violence rises’, The Conversation UK, 31st March 2025. Available at: https://theconversation.com/colombias-fragile-peace-process-in-danger-as-guerrilla-violence-rises-252582

‘DRC rebels take eastern city of Goma- why it matters and what could happen next’, The Conversation UK, 4th February 2025. Available at: https://theconversation.com/drc-rebels-take-eastern-city-of-goma-why-it-matters-and-what-could-happen-next-248393

‘DRC: fighting with rebels in the country’s east has intensified, sparking fears of a wider war’. The Conversation UK, 30th August 2024. Available at: https://theconversation.com/drc-fighting-with-rebels-in-the-countrys-east-has-intensified-sparking-fears-of-a-wider-war-237414

‘All to play for: Ukraine’s counteroffensive and its prospects for success in 2023’. The Modern War Institute at West Point, 6th September 2023. Available at: https://mwi.westpoint.edu/all-to-play-for-ukraines-counteroffensive-and-its-prospects-for-success-in-2023/

‘Collusion vs. Infiltration: Exploring the British State-Loyalist Paramilitary Relationship Through a Loyalist Ex-Combatant Lens’. The Mitchell Institute, Queen’s University Belfast. 17th January 2023. Available at: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/activities/collusion-vs-infiltration-exploring-the-british-state-loyalist-pa

‘Militancy on the Eastern Front: The Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic and the Ukrainian Theater of War’, Real Clear Defense. 20th July 2022. Available at: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2022/07/20/militancy_on_the_eastern_front_the_pridnestrovian_moldovan_republic_and_the_ukrainian_theater_of_war_843404.html . Co-authored with Adam Wendoloski.

‘Northern Ireland once again stands at the crossroads.’ The Political Quarterly. 19th April 2022. Available at: https://politicalquarterly.wordpress.com/2022/04/19/northern-ireland-once-again-stands-at-the-crossroads/

‘Shifting Dynamics Between States and Militias in War’. Political Violence at a Glance. 11th April 2022. Available at: https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2022/04/11/shifting-dynamics-between-states-and-militias-in-war/

‘The Dangers of using Pro-Government Militias as a tool in Counterinsurgency Campaigns’. Small Wars Journal. 8th April 2022. Available at: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/dangers-using-pro-government-militias-tool-counterinsurgency-campaigns

‘Northern Ireland terror threat downgraded but Brexit tensions and threats of renewed violence remain’. The Conversation. 29th March 2022. Available at: https://theconversation.com/northern-ireland-terror-threat-downgraded-but-brexit-tensions-and-threats-of-renewed-violence-remain-175706

‘Ukraine War: the key role played by volunteer militias on both sides of the conflict’. The Conversation. March 2022. Available at: https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-the-key-role-played-by-volunteer-militias-on-both-sides-of-the-conflict-178484

‘A serious threat or strategic success? The pros and cons of paramilitarising a civilian population in Ukraine’, Small Wars Journal. 27th February 2022. Available at: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/serious-threat-or-strategic-success-pros-and-cons-paramilitarising-civilian-population

‘Will violence return to Northern Ireland?’ Political Violence at a Glance. 13th December 2021. Available at: https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2021/12/13/will-violence-return-to-northern-ireland/