EL FASHER, Sudan — A new kind of fauna has appeared on the vast, sun-burned expanses of Africa: celebrities.

The baby born in Namibia to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt probably put that south African desert nation on the map for many of her parents' fans. And possibly for other celebs as well: On Friday, a government official there was quoted as saying that Britney Spears is considering a Namibian birth for her next baby (which the pop singer's rep promptly denied).

George Clooney's recent trip to Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region got more media attention than the millions of refugees who continue to be harassed, raped and killed there.

When actor Matt Dillon tried to visit Darfur, the Sudanese government denied him a visa, perhaps weary of the limelight.

The government rejects accusations it unleashed a genocide by backing counterinsurgency militiamen known as janjaweed. They are blamed for most of the atrocities in Darfur's three-year conflict, which has left more than 180,000 people dead.

"If celebrities can attract some attention by coming here, all the better," said actress Mia Farrow, a United Nations Children's Fund goodwill ambassador who this week was on her second trip to Darfur.

"If I thought it was useless or self-serving to come, I certainly wouldn't be here," said Farrow, who toured humanitarian projects and met with local leaders during her four-day stay.

Celebrity activism — from protesting the Vietnam war to rallying opposition to gun control — isn't new. Bob Geldof 1985's Live Aid concert may have been a high point for stars and Africa, but recent events show interest is still strong.

Some celebrities come for professional reasons, then find their charitable impulses stirred by what they see on the world's poorest continent. After filming on location, the cast and crew of "The Constant Gardener" set up a charity to aid Kenyan slums.

Jolie has traveled to Africa frequently as an actress and as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. But her recent trip was purely personal — she and Pitt retreated to Namibia for private family time for their daughter's birth. The Namibian government told journalists seeking visas to cover the birth that they first needed permission from Pitt and Jolie, in writing.

The government arrested photographers, confiscated film, set up large barriers on the beach to shield the couple and ringed their hotel with security.

After Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt was born May 27 in a private Namibian clinic, her parents donated $300,000 to Namibian government-run hospitals to help other babies in the impoverished country.

In Sudan, Farrow said she had been involved in helping developing-world children for several decades. "By reaching out to others, I've found a life that is meaningful," she said.

She described how her own privileged childhood in Beverly Hills as the daughter of film director John Farrow and movie star Maureen O'Sullivan was interrupted when she caught polio at age 9. "It gave me some perspective and made me discover the other world, of pain, and fear," she said.

The actress became active in the campaign against polio and in a charity headed by Nelson Mandela before becoming a UNICEF ambassador 10 years ago.

While visiting Angola with UNICEF in 2002, she caught malaria and nearly became deaf because of treatment.

She brought her 17-year-old son, Ronan, along to Sudan. The pair visited several volatile refugee camps. "There are certain risks worth taking, and there are certain inactions that are inexcusable," she said. "You've got to stand with what you believe in."