· In 2010 the BBC series Lost Kingdoms of Africa began with an hour-long episode on Nubia. · BMI now flies to Khartoum from London via Beirut.· Turkish Airlines will begin flying from Istanbul to Khartoum in March 2012.· The 50th anniversary of the filling of the Aswan dam reservoir (which necessitated the moving of some of the most important Egyptian and Sudanese archaeological sites) takes place in 2014. · In February 2012 North and South Sudan signed a non-aggression pact at talks to resolve outstanding secession issues. · An ICC arrest warrant for Sudan's defense minister, Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, was issued in December 2011.· Between 2000 and 2009, tourist arrivals in Sudan increased from 38,000 PA to 420,000 PA.· 550,000 tourists visited Sudan in 2010; the number of visitors was forecast to rise by 20% in 2011.
- Ali Amhjub Atta, deputy tourism minister.· Sudan was accused of bombing a refugee camp in South Sudan in November 2011.· In September 2011 a state of emergency was declared in the Blue Nile state and an estimated 100,000 people fled.· South Sudan separated from the north in July 2011, hopefully drawing to a close the long conflict between these two sections of the country. South Sudan does, however, have ¾ of the total oil production capacity which will impact significantly on the economy in the north. · According to the UN, war in Darfur officially ended in August 2009. This was followed with the signing of a peace accord early in 2010. · The International Criminal Court in the Hague issued an arrest warrant for President Bashir in 2009 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
A second arrest warrant was issued in July 2010.· The British Foreign Office advises against travel to all parts of Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, the contested Abyei region, and the border zone between Sudan and Eritrea. · Whilst there is a general threat of terrorism in Sudan, street crime is far lower than in other parts of Africa, in part due to the imposition of Sharia law on the local population.· Arabic is the official language of Sudan, though English is widely spoken.