Can we thank CO2 a little bit here?
No, desertification is still an ongoing issue around the world. This is planting trees, building structures to hold water and adding clay or cellulose to the soil. So definitely no evidence of any benefit from CO2 slowing the expansion or creation of deserts.
We know the Sahara was once greener, and we know that we are currently leaving an ice age. If co2 is warming the planet, it's not such a stretch to believe that we'll be returning to the conditions where a green Sahara existed, especially when more heat = more evaporation = more rain, as well as shifting climate systems.
It's a shame the current climate narrative is so negative, when there's potential life and opportunity to be had, which could stem the flow of people feeling the need to uproot themselves and be refugees on other sides of the planet.