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Namibia govt hails Brangelina
28/04/2006 13:45 - (SA)
Windhoek - Namibia has suddenly gained immense popularity in the America, thanks to the visit by Hollywood golden couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, says the country's ambassador to the United States on Thursday.
Hopelong Ipinge said: "Since the arrival of Angelina Jolie, her two adopted children and Brad Pitt in Namibia, the Namibian embassy in Washington DC has been inundated with calls from the US media and individuals.
"They are inquiring about our country."
Jolie, who was eight months pregnant and was expected to give birth in Namibia, arrived with Pitt in the southern African country in early April.
Their arrival sparked media frenzy with both local and foreign journalists and paparazzi baying to get pictures and interview the glamorous couple.
Govt vows to protect Brad, Angelina
The government had welcomed Jolie and Pitt, but a Namibian rights group and journalists had accused their bodyguards and police of heavy-handed tactics to keep the press at bay.
The Namibian government had vowed to protect Jolie and Pitt's privacy, releasing a statement asking the press to leave them alone during their stay near the west coast town of Swakopmund.
Ipinge said that their stay had done much to promote the arid southwest African country of two million people, famous for its diamond mines and spectacular desert scenery.
"Some television stations in the US, including CNN even requested our tourism marketing videos because their American viewers requested to know more about Namibia."
According to the Namibian ambassador, Jolie had three choices of destinations to give birth to her first biological child - France, the US and Namibia.
Ipinge added: "Her choice fell on Namibia because of privacy and that is what we need to secure at all costs. It will be an honour for Namibia to become the birthplace of her child."
Namibia had ordered three French paparazzi and a South African photographer to leave the country for trying to snap Jolie.
- AFP
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South Africa
