France voices concern about the spread of Islamist extremism in Sahel

France's foreign minister on Friday voiced concern about the spread of Islamist extremism in west Africa, after talks with his Togolese counterpart in the capital Lome.

Violence by jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamist State group has blighted the Sahel region for the last decade.

It is now spreading into northern regions of coastal countries such as Togo, after the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger forced the withdrawal of French troops involved in the fight against militants.

Jean-Noel Barrot's visit to Togo is the first by a French foreign minister in 10 years. France is the former colonial power and Lome remains a rare ally of Paris in the region, even as it forges closer ties with Russia.

"We have a common concern, namely the security of the sub-region and, of course, the terrorist threat, which we all want to stem and contain," Barrot told reporters after talks with his counterpart, Robert Dussey.

"France is supporting regional initiatives to contain this scourge and enable countries in the sub-region to fully assume their security and sovereignty," he added.

Barrot arrived in Lome late Thursday and immediately held talks with Togo's leader, Faure Gnassingbe, praising Togo's role as mediator in places such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said the country was also playing a "pivotal role" in the Sahel to find solutions at a regional level to fight against "the advance of the terrorist threat".

France is co-hosting a major summit on Africa in Nairobi next month.