The ongoing conflict in the Abyei region of Sudan that has displaced over 80 000 civilians, destroyed property and cost lives demonstrates that Africans are yet to comprehend the bigger picture. Endowed with vast geological resources, both the North and Southern Sudan ought to focus on peaceful Mechanisms to manage resources for the benefit of their citizenry. They must consequently honor the agreement negotiated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday (May 30, 2011), designed to ensure that the two parties maintain stable and secure relations.

It is thus incumbent upon Presidents Omar Bashir and Salva Kiir to demonstrate leadership, navigate around the forces gravitating towards war and ensure a peaceful-coexistence for the sake of the peace and prosperity of wider Sudan. The two Principals must not forget their commitment made in November 2010 during a special Inter Government Agency for Development (IGAD) Summit on Sudan where they pledged to seek peaceful resolutions to issues that may divide them instead of returning to war.

Fighting over visible wealth today has traditionally robed Africans the wealth of tomorrow. The continent has lost 600 years chasing mirrors, gunpowder, rum and modern day toys, among others, in exchange for its human labor, wildlife and geological resources. The Sudanese leadership ought not to miss the bigger picture but rather invest in the larger Sudan interests first, despite the looming separation. Shortsightedness has transformed natural resources into a curse.