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The Gambella region of western Ethiopia hosts over 300,000 South Sudanese refugees in seven camps. The refugee response is dominated by UN agencies and international NGOs and staffed mostly by Ethiopians from outside of Gambella, creating a gap between humanitarian actors and the people they seek to assist. In order to realize commitments to localization and refugee participation made in the Charter for Change, the Grand Bargain and the Global Compact for Refugees, it is critical for refugees and local populations to be more involved in shaping and leading the delivery of aid. This could be achieved through increasing the role played by Gambella-based NGOs, engaging with faith-based actors, facilitating diaspora initiatives and supporting the development of refugee-led organizations.

This study takes a holistic approach to the dynamics of the South Sudanese transnational community and its impact within South Sudan. Specific research on the international dynamics of the South Sudan civil war—for example, hate speech and incitement on social media—must be placed in the wider context of these informational, financial and social flows. If the realities and dynamics of this transnational network can be better understood, they may reveal alternative paths for enabling the dialogue and debate. This will be critical to future nation-building processes in South Sudan and could open up new channels that are less easily dominated by the narrow politico-military elite, as well as garner wider humanitarian and community support.