The White Nile ambles like a well-dressed older man who knows he's worth the wait.

NPR: Darfur Casts Shadow Over Khartoum's Ambitions

From the White Nile to the lost city of Ubar in Oman, this formidable individual has led expeditions all over the world since the 1960s.

CNN: Quest for exploration

We spent the night in Wad Madani, on the Blue Nile, which flows from Ethiopia's Lake Tana to join the White Nile in the capital of Khartoum.

WSJ: A Father-Son Vacation in Sudan, Africa

Neighbouring Egypt, which long sought to impede South Sudan's quest for independence ostensibly because of fears over the White Nile's headwaters, is now also currying favour with offers of educational and technical aid.

ECONOMIST: South Sudan and the Arab world

Alternatively, fly down to Kampala to ride the wild White Nile in Uganda.

BBC: Journey down the world��s longest rivers

This capital city is located at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile Rivers - rivers that have carried sultans and pharaohs, treasure seekers and explorers, soldiers and slaves from the beginning of time.

NPR: Darfur Casts Shadow Over Khartoum's Ambitions

The discussions, held in Kenana, in White Nile state, have the broad support of the southern ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and some northern opposition parties.

ECONOMIST: An end to the war?