Paparazzi Diary: In Pursuit of Baby Brangelina

In the end, even the identity of the hospital was a state secret.

In an exclusive ongoing diary for TMZ, a paparazzo in Namibia discusses the government's final efforts to keep Brad and Angelina's new baby from the press. Her account follows:

The months-long cat and mouse game between the stars and the paparazzi culminated with Angelina giving birth at the Cottage MediClinic Hospital in Namibia.

The choice of Cottage was itself a head-fake, following incorrect reports that the baby would be born at the private Welwitschia Hospital instead.

Photographing the parents was all but impossible. Security vehicles caravaning with the couple split up to keep the press off their tails, with a decoy driving to Walvis Bay-- where the couple's compound is located-- while a car with Angelina, Brad and the children drove via back roads into the hospital, using a back entrance for her admittance.

According to a top paramedic, the Cottage MediClinic maternity ward is famous for its tight security and efficiency, which is why Brad and Angelina were comfortable with not having the hospital visibly guarded. The hospital was unusually quiet on Sunday -- locked up except for the managerial staff. Even the sign of the hospital had been removed.

According to a government statement the baby, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, could be given Namibian citizenship if the parents choose to do so. The statement said the family will remain in Namibia "for some time" to allow Angelina and the new baby time to recuperate.

Meanwhile, tensions between Brangelina and the press continued. John Liebenberg, a South African photographer, appeared in court on Monday on charges of trespassing at the Tiger Reef Beach Bar. He had been caught trying to shoot pictures as the happy family was enjoying some "time out."

Brangelina bodyguard Mickey Brett denied having anything to do with the reportedly excessively tough security measures that had been dished out, and also said he had nothing to do with the arrest of the photographer. He said that his security team is simply doing their job to keep the cameras off Angelina. "Angelina and the children have to hide behind curtains all day because you photographers won't leave them alone," he said. "Of course we are going to make sure that she is left alone, but it seems as though the press continues to twist everything I say in all the newspapers - I've even been called a thug," he added.

But with the loyal support of the Namibian government, Brad and Angelina have set a precedent of privacy at a price. Namibia now seems to be the place where superstars can jet in, secure their piece of paradise, and, with the blessing of the government, send the media packing.

Source: tmz