French foreign minister Barrot voices concern about ‘terrorist threat’ in the Sahel

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday voiced concern about the spread of Islamist extremism in west Africa, after talks with Togo’s leader, Faure Gnassingbe. Violence by jihadist groups has blighted the Sahel region for the last decade, and is now spreading into northern regions of coastal countries such as Togo.