As North Africa continues to grab headlines with the call for social and political change, the secession of South Sudan from the north of the country and the 18 days of protest that changed Egypt's destiny are events that will alter the lives of millions.

In Sudan, it was the process of the referendum that surprised many people, more than the result, which was a forgone conclusion. In an area widely known for conflict and dispute, few expected the division of Sudan by a majority vote to be achieved in such a peaceful and transparent manner. While there were admittedly clashes between Ngok Dinka and Arab Misseriya tribesmen close to Abyei, a town in the fertile and oil-rich border region that both North and South Sudan call their own, the general respect for the process was remarkable.

The referendum result ended two decades of civil war between the north and the south and saw the U.S. administration remove Sudan's name from the list of terrorism-sponsoring countries. South Sudan President Salva Kiir, who will take office on July 9, 2011, returned home promising to work with his northern counterpart, Omar al-Bashir, extending the spirit expressed by the people. These are all signs of cooperation across the board.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said it best by applauding the fact that Sudan voters were able to exercise their rights freely.

"This referendum was a remarkable expression of hope by the people. I was very moved by their determination to vote; some walked for days to do so," he said.

In Egypt, the expression of the people was exercised in a different manner, although the motive of seeking a change in regime and carving their own destiny was similar.

In an unprecedented show of unity and sense of purpose Egyptians came out in their tens of thousands to voice their opinion. Spurred on by the protests in Tunisia, which resulted in the resignation of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Egyptians had reached the end of their tether and this time were not prepared to turn back until they achieved their aims. A faltering economy, high food prices and low wages were at the root of the calls for protest. As the country's middle class called for greater democracy in a stifled public sphere, the rule of President Hosni Mubarak came crashing down around his ears.

What was interesting is the protesters on the streets and on Tahrir, or Liberation Square, in Cairo, came from all walks of life and all age groups. They were from all religions, secular, Muslims and Christians together with a common purpose. While there were inevitably cases of violence, looting and killings, overall Egypt's security forces interacted peacefully with the public, denoting perhaps a sense of sympathy for their countrymen. For Egypt, the Arab world's natural leader and its most populous nation, a new day had dawned in more ways than one. A common purpose was put above other affiliations and belief systems. Poverty, corruption and repression - the three cardinal sins of any administration eventually led to the resignation of Mubarak on February 11. The 82 year-old leader had ruled Egypt for 30 years.

The Editor

A clear message from these events and similar protests now taking place in Algeria and Libya is that irrespective of who governs a country the key factor must be stability. Governments know this. No progress can be made, whether economically, socially or culturally, without a stable environment. Both the new governments of Egypt and Sudan have their work cut out for them. Maintaining peace, listening to the will of the people and building a stable country is what the world will be watching out for in the journey of these two nations.