Answer:
Because of its proximity to Arab lands, many people in the Sahel have adopted Islam.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Sahel is a region in Africa. It is located between the Sahara Desert and sub-Saharan Africa, being a relatively dry region dominated by the steppe. This region, on its north, has boundaries almost exclusively with Arab dominated countries, so naturally, the people living in the Sahel have had some influence from them.
One of the biggest influences among the people living in the Sahel from the Arabs has been in the form of religion. The majority of the population in the Sahel has adopted Islam and abandoned their native religions. The adoption of Islam has contributed to numerous cultural changes of the people in this region since Islam as a religion has strict rules that people need to follow in order to be considered as Muslims, so numerous native cultural traits have also been abandoned.