Africa in pictures: 9-15 January 2015
A selection of photographs from around the African continent this week.
A mascot entertains the crowd at a rally of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) in the coastal city of Cape Town on Saturday. Tens of thousands attended the rally to celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the ANC - Africa's oldest political movement.
Five days later in Nigeria's main city Lagos, a reveller performs at a campaign meeting of the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC). The APC hopes to unseat the governing People's Democratic Party in next month's elections. The PDP has governed Nigeria since military rule ended in 1999...
The APC has adopted the broom as its symbol to indicate that it wants to clean up what it calls the mess created by the PDP in Nigeria...
A day earlier, campaign posters of the APC candidate in Lagos state Akinwunmi Ambode, displayed along a highway, are hosed off. The Lagos State Signage Advertisement Agency (LASAA) said the posters breached environmental guidelines it had issued to parties for the elections.
Men alleged to have taken part in an attack on the home of former Africa Union chief Jean Ping sit outside the house in Gabon's capital, Libreville, on Monday. Mr Ping accused President Ali Bongo's "thug-state" of being behind the attack, amid speculation that he intends to run for president in the next election.
Jewish children at a school in Tunisia's capital, Tunis, study a religious text on Tuesday. Yoav Hattab, one of the people killed during the hostage-taking in Paris last week, had studied at the school, and his friends described him as a "child of Tunisia"...
On Friday, candles are lit next to a sign reading "I am Charlie" in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan during a ceremony held by the foreign press association to pay tribute to the victims of the deadly attack on the offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris.
Elsewhere in Abidjan, a part of Ivorian musician Alpha Blondy's home lay in ruins on Wednesday. The demolition, which targeted only the recording artist's annexed studio which had been built on public property, had been ordered by the government as part of its revamp the city.
A worker carries bread as people wait to make their purchases at a bakery in Egypt's capital, Cairo, in this photo released on Monday. The successful roll-out of a new "smart card" system to distribute subsidised bread has been a major achievement for Egypt's government, Reuters news agency reports.
Amazigh singer Fatima Tabaamrant performs during a festival to celebrate the Amazigh new year, also called "Yennayer", on Monday in Tiznit in southern Morocco. It is year 2,965 for the Amazigh...
A fireworks display was also held during the celebration. The Amazighs, or Berbers, are indigenous to North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They have long campaigned for greater political and cultural rights in the region.
South Africa's world famous musician Hugh Masekela performs in Lagos in this photo released on Friday. He had performed at an event where Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure was declared the 2014 African Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football.