Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia Please submit all media inquiries to edickinson@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Elizabeth Dickinson has been Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Colombia since 2019. Her work centers around armed conflict dynamics in the country and the implementation of the 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and FARC guerrillas. Previously a journalist, Elizabeth first reported from Colombia in 2011, covering topics including criminal and armed group violence, illegal mining, migration, and national politics. Elizabeth previously served as Crisis Group´s Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula, where she lived for 8 years focusing on the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. She focused extensively on Gulf countries´foreign policies in the Middle East and Horn of Africa. Professional Background Prior to joining International Crisis Group, Elizabeth worked for a decade as a journalist, including roles at Foreign Policy magazine, The National, and The Economist. She holds a degree in African and International Studies from Yale University. Areas of Expertise Colombia Armed groups in Colombia Humanitarian issues Gulf politics and foreign policy Saudi Arabia UAE Qatar Bahrain Kuwait Counter-terror finance Proxy conflict Languages English (native) Spanish (fluent) French (fluent) Publications “Colombia’s War Just Ended. A New Wave of Violence Is Beginning,” Foreign Policy magazine, August 2016. “Fighting the Last War,” Washington Monthly, Jan/Feb 2012. “Godfathers and Thieves: How Syria’s Diaspora Crowd-Funded a Revolution”, Deca, June 2015. “Playing with Fire: Why Private Gulf Financing for Syria’s Extremist Rebels Risk Igniting Sectarian Conflict at Home”, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, 2013. In The News 1 Nov 2019 The string of assassinations of indigenous leaders in Cauca illustrates some of the fundamental tensions at the center of the debate about protection for human rights defenders in Colombia. Twitter Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 11 Aug 2019 The UAE and Saudi Arabia have allied with distinct Yemeni partners. Yet to this point in the conflict, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have worked to maintain a relative detente between competing interests in the south. Reuters Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 25 Jul 2019 Saudi Arabia may feel that they still need a ‘win’ in Yemen, whatever that looks like to them, in order to pivot more clearly toward talks. AP Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 5 Jul 2019 There has been a great deal of speculation around the reported UAE drawdown in Yemen. UAE objective has been consistent for 2 years: wind down involvement in the Huthi conflict. Twitter Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 26 Jun 2019 The good offices of Omani diplomacy have averted regional crises in the past and would be welcome in the Israel-Palestine context. AFP Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 19 May 2019 Riyadh may not want war with Iran, but there are risks to this strategy of rhetorical confrontation. The Wall Street Journal Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia Latest Updates Q&A / Latin America & Caribbean 25 October 2019 Local Polls in Colombia Put Peace to the Test On 27 October, Colombia will hold its first local elections since a 2016 peace agreement between the government and FARC rebels. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Elizabeth Dickinson explains what is at stake politically and why so much violence has accompanied the campaign. Also available in Español Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 20 September 2019 After the Aramco Attack: A Middle East One Step Closer to Its “1914 Moment” On 14 September, strikes of uncertain provenance hit Saudi Arabia’s largest oil facilities, taking some 50 per cent of the kingdom’s oil production temporarily offline. Crisis Group offers a 360-degree view of the attacks and their implications for Middle Eastern and international peace and security. Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 21 May 2018 Iraq Rebuild can Help Abate Sectarian Tension Across the Region Iran and Saudi Arabia are actively fighting one another in the media, through armed proxies, in cyberspace and with Western lobbyists. But in Iraq they should both see the case for détente. Originally published in The Hill Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 9 May 2018 Iraq’s Pre-election Optimism Includes a New Partnership with Saudi Arabia After the defeat of the Islamic State in 2017, normality is returning to Iraq ahead of the 12 May parliamentary elections. In this Q&A, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula Elizabeth Dickinson says the country’s cautious optimism includes hopes of a new partnership with Riyadh, balancing Baghdad’s strong ties with Tehran.