Results of Niger’s second round of presidential elections indicate that President Mahamadou Issoufou won his re-election with 92,5% of the votes against former Prime Minister and Parliament speaker Hama Amadou who gained 7,5%. According to Niger’s election commission, the voter turn-out was 59,8% while this figure is challenged by the opposition who claimed it would have been 11%. After the first round of presidential elections on 21 February which hosted 15 candidates, Issoufou had won 48,4% of the votes against 17,7% for Amadou, however during the second round, the opposition coalition COPA 2016 (Coalition for Alternation) called on Amadou supporters to boycott the run-off as it accused the government of fraud in the first round.

Parliamentary elections were held on 20 March 2016. The results slightly change from those of 2012 as the ruling Nur-Otan Party of current President Nursultan Nazarbayev had once again won, this time with 82,15% of the vote, a bit more than the 81% win of 2012. The two other parties that had got into the Parliament were Ak Zhol and the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan that had won 7,18% and 7,14% of the vote respectively, compared to their results in 2012 of 7,47% and 7,19%. The election was criticized by international observers such as the OSCE and the ODIHIR, for not providing a real political choice.

On Sunday, March 20, USA President Barack Obama embarked on the long-awaited visit to Cuba. The first visit of the sitting presidents in 88 years, was scheduled in light of the recent attempts by both sides to normalize the relations between the two nations, and mark the re-opening of the diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana. Obama met with Raul Castro, the current president, and held a speech, relating to democracy and freedom. In his speech, Obama further addressed the topics of political prisoners in Cuba. The speech was criticized by both the former president, Fidel Castro, in an open letter he published baring the title "Brother Obama", and by the current president, accusing Obama that criticism to Cuba should not precede self-correction. Obama and Castro also attended a friendly baseball game between Cuba and the U.S. The visit was conducted under warnings by the Cuban administration to refrain from intervening in Cuban internal affairs, meeting with anti-Castro activists, and call for democracy and freedom. Obama's visit was criticized as one that reflected carelessness towards the warnings.

The members of the European Council met with Turkish representatives to address the deepening of Turkey-EU relations and the migration influx. It was the third meeting since November 2015 devoted to these topics. Both sides decided to end the irregular migration from Turkey to the EU. This should be achieved by the implementation of the joint action plan (activated on 29 November 2015) and additional factors agreed for during the meeting. First, new irregular migrants coming to Greek islands from Turkey will be returned to Turkey. Second, for each Syrian returning to Turkey, another Syrian will be resettled from Turkey to the EU. Third, Turkey committed themselves to take necessary measures to prevent opening of new routes for illegal migration. In return the EU might lift the visa requirements (if all benchmarks are met) and re-boost the accession process.

On 18 march 2016, the earlier appointment of Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil, to become the Chief of Staff by current President Dilma Rousseff - who is facing a possible impeachment - was annulled by a top judge. The decision was made by judge Gilmar Mendes, member of the Supreme Court. The move comes as an earlier decision by a Federal Judge was overturned earlier to annul his appointment. Lula da Silva is currently charged for corruption related to the Petrobras scandal, and Dilma Rousseff has lost public trust, as her former mentor among others is related to corruption, while Brazil is in economic decline and facing an ever greater political crisis. 

After the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution on the 14th of March, the U.S. government has labelled the IS atrocities against minorities as a genocide, acknowledging the fact and recognizing that serious war crimes have been committed by the terrorist organization. During a news conference on the 17th of March, Secretary of State John Kerry declared IS to be responsible for mass genocide against groups in areas under its control including Yazidis, Christians and Shiite Muslims. This is the first time that the U.S. has declared genocide since the Darfur atrocities in 2004. The move is aimed at putting pressure on the Obama administration to take more aggressive military action against IS and could additionally give weight to calls by lawmakers and humanitarian groups to welcome more refugees into the country.