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 denied later in the day).

George Clooney’s recent trip to the conflict-wracked Darfur region received 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 celebrity limelight. The government denies accusations it unleashed a genocide by backing counterinsurgency militiamen known as janjaweed, who are blamed for most of the atrocities in Darfur’s three-year conflict that 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 last 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.

Mia Farrow recently traveled to Sudan as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund. While there, she took pictures of children at the Zamzam refugee camp, south of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan. Farrow is one of several celebrities who hope to use their fame to bring attention to Africa's problems.

Celebrity activism – from protesting the Vietnam War to rallying opposition to gun control – certainly 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.

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 the birth of their daughter.

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 the age of 9.

“It gave me some perspective and made me discover the other world, of pain and fear,” she said.

After her first marriage to singer Frank Sinatra, she began adopting children from poor countries, beginning in 1973 with an orphan from the Vietnam War. Farrow, who had three sons with her second husband, musician Andre Previn, and one with film director Woody Allen, is the mother of 14.

“These children were the first significant commitment I made to others,” said the actress, who also became active in the campaign against polio and in a charity headed by Nelson Mandela before becoming a UNICEF ambassador 10 years ago.

Farrow recalled one woman in Darfur telling of witnessing janjaweed militia killing her husband and two of her children, and then turning on her.

“She couldn’t even remember how many times they raped her,” Farrow said, clutching a necklace of amulets the woman gave her, telling her they would keep her safe.

“I was speechless; I had nothing to give back to ensure her own safety,” Farrow said. She said she could only promise to tell her story to the world, hoping such accounts would force the world to take action. She said she would plead for the international community to hasten the arrival of U.N. peacekeepers here.

“Her story is sacred,” Farrow said. “I just wish I could be more famous, or more powerful, so that my voice would carry further when I speak about Darfur.”