Pop star Jackson on mission to end child slavery

And Jackson could travel to Sudan as early as next month with American civil rights campaigner the Reverend Al Sharpton, who visited the war-torn country earlier this month.

‘‘I want this slavery to end, now and forever,’’ Jackson said.

‘‘I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

‘‘The existence of child slavery shakes me to my very core.

‘‘Children need a childhood. They need to play and run and have fun. They can’t be forced to work.

‘‘Childhood is the greatest gift of life that must be preserved. I think this is something that we can’t turn a blind eye to.’’

Systematic enslavement of children from the Christian south of the country has been one of the tactics of the Muslim north in the bitter civil war which has wracked Sudan for years.

Children are taken from their homes by soldiers and sold into slavery and often forcibly converted to Islam.

Jackson, 42, said he had been inspired by Rev Sharpton’s fact-finding visit to Sudan earlier this month, as well as the plight of the children thought to be on board the Eterino off Benin.

"I’m inspired to join Rev Sharpton’s example in fighting this scourge of humanity head on,’’ said Jackson, who added he would do whatever it takes to ‘‘forever eradicate this abomination’’.

Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, Jackson’s British spiritual adviser, said the star had pledged the help of his charity, Heal the Children, after reading of the Eterino’s voyage.

‘‘He was really shocked by it,’’ the rabbi said. ‘‘He said he had to do something about it.’’

And the move was praised by the Rev Sharpton, who said Jackson would help make world leaders listen.

‘‘His star power will help us to highlight the horrors of slavery that are occurring here,’’ the clergyman and activist said.

‘‘We need to bring this issue to the forefront. We must really challenge the United States and United Nations to take a harder look at the issue of slavery, particularly the child slaves.’’

The alleged child slave ship caused outrage across the world when authorities in the tiny West African state of Benin said they believed as many as 180 children sold into slavery by their impoverished parents were on board.

When it docked earlier this week, 43 children were removed from the vessel, although there was no confirmation that they were among the 180 thought to have been sold.

Sudan’s long-running civil war has received little attention in America but the move by Jackson will guarantee it becomes a high-profile conflict.

The largely Muslim north has been at odds with the south, mostly Christian and Animist, which has been attempting to break away and form a separate state.

But the nation has reserves of oil which make it a strategic asset to the United States in the event of an energy shortage and oil firms have been attempting to exploit the country’s resources while the civil war rages around them.

There has been repeated criticism for the oil firms from humanitarian groups who claim they are prolonging the war by propping up the current regime.