Angelina Jolie Brands Boko Haram Abduction of Nigerian Schoolgirls 'Evil'

Angelina Jolie has become the latest celebrity to publically condemn the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

The Hollywood actress slammed the actions of Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, who have taken responsibility for the kidnapping, as "evil".

Speaking at a Paris press call for her new film Maleficent, the mother-of-six said she was saddened by the atrocity.

"The kidnapping of these young Nigerian girls is an unthinkable cruelty," she said.

"Sadly, of course, there is real evil in the world. You watch the news and you see all of the people suffering and so much cruelty."

Jolie is just one of the growing number of stars that has used their platform to draw attention to the #BringOurGirlsBack campaign, which is demanding the release of the young girls.

Justin Timberlake, Forest Whitaker, Gabrielle Union and Joan Smalls are just a few names that have lent their voice to the cause on using social media.

On 14 April Boko Haram, which translates from Arabic as 'Western education is sinful', kidnapped 276 girls from a school in Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state. 50 or so of the girl were able to escape, the rest are still missing.

In a video posted online, the group's leader Abubakar Shekau vowed to sell the girls into slavery.

"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah ... Allah has instructed me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions."

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has accepted foreign aid from the American government to help locate the missing girls.