Africa's week in pictures: 24-30 July 2020

31 July 2020

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond:

A child strokes a ram as Tunisians arrive at a livestock market ahead of the Eid al-Adha near Manouba district of Tunis, Tunisia on July 29, 2020. — Image caption,
Tunisians are getting ready to celebrate Eid by shopping at a livestock market in the capital, Tunis, on Wednesday.

A young sheep farmer drags one of his sheep toward the sea in order to clean it in Dakar on July 28, 2020, ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), known as Tabaski in Western Africa. - Sheep farmers are starting to fill the streets of the Senegalese capital with their sheep ahead of the festival, when prices of their anmials can range from one hundred thousand West African Francs(CFA) to four million CFA (7000 US dollars).

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The day before, in Senegal's capital, Dakar, this young man is keen to get a ram to the sea to clean it up...

A breeder poses for a photo near sacrificial lambs at a livestock market within the Eid al-Adha preparations in Dakar, Senegal on July 28, 2020.

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As all the animals at Dakar's livestock markets, like this one, have very clean coats before they are sold.

A vendor pose for photo as he displayed rams for sale at a cattle market in Kara Isheri in the state Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, ahead of Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha on July 29, 2020. Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday imposed tight movement restrictions across the country in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus disease, he will be observe this years Eid-el-Kabir prayers with his family members within the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Buhari usually joins Muslims for Eid prayers in any of the prayer grounds in Abuja whenever he does not travel to his home town, Daura in Katsina State for the festivals. He also advised Where small groups choose to hold the Eid together, face masks are absolutely necessary, as is social distancing. Advisedly, such prayers should hold outdoors and worshippers are encouraged to bring their own prayer mats.

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In Nigeria's Ogun state this vendor finds time on Wednesday to pose for a photo at the market.

A breeder is seen near sacrificial lambs at a livestock market ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Tripoli, Libya on July 29, 2020. The economic situation, which has been progressively deteriorating after the 14-month attacks launched by the Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the illegitimate armed forces in the east of the country, on April 4 last year, also had a negative impact on the sales of the sacrificial animals.

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And this trader in Libya's capital, Tripoli, looks relaxed on Wednesday ahead of a hoped-for rush of customers for Eid.

Tundu Lissu (C), Tanzania's former MP with the Chadema main opposition party, who was shot 16 times in a 2017 attack, reacts to supporters as he returns after three years in exile to challenge President John Magufuli in elections later this year, at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 27, 2020. - Tanzania will hold a general election on October 28, 2020

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On Monday, Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu is welcomed back to the country for the first time since someone tried to assassinate him.

A worshipper of the African Divine Church attends a prayer at their church in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, on July 26, 2020, after Kenya's President allowed places of worship to reopen under strict guidelines to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

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In a church in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Sunday this woman sings her heart out after the government allowed places of worship to reopen following the coronavirus lockdown...

A worshipper of Legio Maria wears a protective face mask with the lettering 'Keep distance' as she arrives to attend a prayer at their church in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, on July 26, 2020, after Kenya's President allowed places of worship to reopen under strict guidelines to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

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But there are strict rules around the reopening of Kenya's churches, as this nun's face mask makes clear.

The statue of late lawyer and rights activist Gani Fawehinmi wears a face mask at the Liberty Park at Ojota in Lagos, on July 27, 2020. - The 34-feet statue to immortalise the fiery lawyer and rights advocate is being used to sensitise people to the sanitary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub and epicentre of the virus in the country.

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Even statues are wearing masks as seen here in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, on Monday.

An undertaker wearing a protective suit and a face shield and relatives escort the coffin containing the remains of a COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) victim during a funeral proceeding at a funeral house in Johannesburg, on July 26, 2020. - South Africa has the highest numbers of diagnosed infections in Africa and ranks fifth in the world after the United States, Brazil, India and Russia.

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In Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday, an undertaker is seen take a double precaution of mask and shield at a funeral...

A picture taken in a funeral house in Johannesburg, on July 26, 2020 shows coffins stacked at the warehouse. - South Africa has the highest numbers of diagnosed infections in Africa and ranks fifth in the world after the United States, Brazil, India and Russia.

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The country has seen a surge in funerals as it struggles to contain coronavirus...

This aerial picture shows several funerals being celebrated at the Olifantsvlei Cemetery in Soweto, on July 25, 2020.

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So much so that cemeteries see several funerals taking place at the same time.

Migrants escorted by police queue to board on a tourists ferry boat to Porto Empedocle onthe Italian island of Lampedusa on 29 July 2020

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On Wednesday, migrants, mainly from Tunisia, wait as the Italian police board them on to a ferry to take them to the Lampedusa reception centre...

Migrants rescued by Italys' Guardia Costiera ( Coast Guard ) sits as a boat with tourists enter in the harbor of the Italian Pelagie Island of Lampedusa on July 29, 2020

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Their boat was intercepted trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.

Pictures from AFP, EPA and Reuters.