Terrorists in the Sahel region of Africa are poised to take advantage of uncertainty in the American defense posture following a recent Defense Department announcement, but U.S. Africa Command shored up partners with a military equipment donation to Niger on Friday.

“Violence continues to be [of] concern in the region,” AFRICOM spokeswoman Kelly Cahalan told the Washington Examiner, pointing to the murders of French and Nigerien nationals in a giraffe reserve last week.