Sahel Region in March 2026: the most important developments in society
In the Sahel region in March 2026, the dominant story was Senegal's loss of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title. On 18 March the Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the title and awarded it to Morocco. Senegal's government called the decision illegal and deeply unjust, pledged to appeal and called for an international investigation, citing suspicions of corruption and accusing the head of the football body of allowing Morocco to dictate law. The body's president defended the decision and said Senegal was welcome to appeal. On 22 March a Senegalese star said he was open to returning medals to ease tensions with Morocco.
Senegal's parliament also approved a law doubling the penalty for same-sex relations to 10 years in prison, passed on 11 and 12 March. Rights groups raised concerns about the law.
An investigation reported on 20 March found a new disinformation network targeting the Sahel alliance states.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.