Africa's year in pictures 2018

A selection of the best photos from across and about Africa this year:

The New Year started with celebrations and these children see-sawing in a park in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

A Kenyan slum was engulfed by fire later in January as residents used sewage water in a desperate attempt to douse the flames.

Ex-football star George Weah was sworn in as Liberia's president in January, the country's first transition between democratically elected leaders since 1944.

These pillow lips were for sale in a market in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan in the run-up to Valentine's Day.

Supporters of Zimbabwe's veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai mourned his death at the age of 65 in February.

People dressed up as Black Panther characters in Kenya watched a screening of the Marvel blockbuster that grossed $1bn (£787m) in 26 days in March.

A sheep was honoured in March with a medal after winning a prize at a three-day auction in the Libyan city of Misrata.

The next month, a group of young Somali women joked together in Kenya's vast Dadaab refugee camp.

Also in April, South African schoolgirls were pictured at the Soweto home of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, a day after the anti-apartheid activist died aged 81.

Later in the month, soldiers were on patrol in one of Cameroon's two English-speaking regions as the campaign for independence turned violent.

Actresses Sheila Munyiva (L) and Samantha Mugatsia were at the Cannes Film Festival in May for Rafiki, the Kenyan film that was banned at home because of its lesbian storyline.

A South African man smoked cannabis at a protest in May to demand its legalisation - which was granted in September for use by adults in private places.

In June, football took over with the World Cup in Russia. This fan from Cameroon entertained metro commuters in Moscow...

Later in the month, Kenyans watched Nigeria take on Argentina at the World Cup on a screen installed on a truck in Nairobi…

But this Lagos fan's devastation after Argentina scored to win 2-1 summed up the feeling of many African fans...

And in Senegal thousands watched the Lions of Taranga on a giant screen during a failed attempt to beat Colombia.

In July, cavalry horsemen participated in a Berber festival in Tan-Tan in western Morocco.

Later that month, an Ethiopian journalist met his daughters in Eritrea for the first time in 16 years. He flew in the first commercial flight between the two nations in 20 years.

Ethiopia's new prime minister has been behind some dizzying reforms this year, including the unbanning of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). This woman was among thousands to welcome back its exiled leadership to Addis Ababa.

Six people were killed in August after Zimbabwean soldiers intervened to curb opposition protests two days after elections.

It was the first vote since long-time leader Robert Mugabe was forced to resign. His successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was declared the outright winner.

Ugandan opposition MP and musician Bobi Wine appeared in court on treason charges in August. He alleged he was badly beaten by soldiers during his time in custody.

Towards the end of August, the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha was celebrated. This Nigerian girl kneeled next to her father during prayers in Ogun state.

Also in August, a South Sudanese girl played in a swamp near Nyal, where her family now live having fled their home in the five-year civil war.

In September, rival leaders in South Sudan signed what they said was a "final final" peace deal. This photo shows child soldiers being disarmed earlier in the year.

Ghana bid farewell to Kofi Annan, the former UN boss who died aged 80, amid elaborate funeral ceremonies in the capital, Accra, in September.

The next month, these women in Accra looked on as the motorcade for US First Lady Melania Trump went by...

Mrs Trump also took in Kenya on her trip, where her decision to wear a pith helmet on safari drew some criticism.

In November, lhan Omar, who fled civil war in Somalia as a child, became the first American-Somali to be elected to the US Congress.

Later in the month, these children had fun in a pile of cotton during the harvest in southern Mali.

A street performance by young ballerinas impressed onlookers in Kenya's Kibera slum also in November.

This is one of the most photographed cafe's in Egypt's capital, Cairo, thanks to its massive mural of Mohamed Salah, who won BBC African Footballer of the Year in December.

This girl was photographed in December outside her one-room home in Senegal's capital, Dakar.

A South African diver dressed as Santa Claus fed fish at a marina in Durban ahead of Christmas.

And the year ended with elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where protesters have been unhappy with delays and campaign restrictions.

Images from AFP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters.