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Africa's week in pictures: 30 December 2022 - 5 January 2023

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

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News imageGetty Images People attend swimming event on the first day of new year as daily life continues in Nabil, Tunisia on January 01, 2023Getty Images
Swimmers in Tunisia's coastal town of Nabeul take a New Year's Day dip in the Mediterranean.
News imageGetty Images Nairobi residents gather outside the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (K.I.C.C) for the new years radical prayers on January 01, 2023 in Nairobi, KenyaGetty Images
In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, some see in 2023 with an outdoor prayer service...
News imageReuters A reveller spins burning-steel wool to spread sparks of fire during the New Year's Eve celebrations in Nairobi, Kenya January 1, 2023Reuters
While others in the city celebrate the new year by spinning burning steel wool to create a shower of sparkles.
News imageReuters Junior Lambrechts has his face painted in preparation for the Cape Minstrel Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa January 2, 2023Reuters
A young boy gets his face painted in Cape Town, South Africa, in readiness for Monday's annual Cape Minstrel Carnival, back after a two-year break caused by Covid...
News imageGetty Images The T.V Stars from Heideveld in action during the Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebration in Bo-Kaap on January 02, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. The Klopse parade is back after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. About 20 000 performers and tens of thousands of audience members flocked to the city to see the performances which dates back to the days of slavery in the CapeGetty Images
Different troupes parade through the streets and perform for the thousands of visitors in a tradition that dates back to the days of slavery.
News imageAFP Members of the 'Ekum Baba' escort their hunting costume during the annual hunting festival in Banjul on January 2, 2023. - This hunting festival occurs every new years in Banjul. The two groups 'Ekum Baba' and 'Odilleh' come to the streets of Banjul every year to battle for the title of best animal heads,masques and costumesAFP
Monday also sees an annual hunting festival in the Gambian capital, Banjul, as people compete for the title of best animal heads, masques and costumes.
News imageAFP Catholic faithful gather inside the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs to pray after receiving news about the death of former Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in Namugongo, Kampala, Uganda, on December 31, 2022AFP
Catholic mourners in Uganda come together at the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs in Namugongo following the death of Pope Benedict XVI on 31 December.
News imageGetty Images A view of the statue of the Virgin Mary inside of the Mariam Dearit shrine on January 02, 2023 in Keren, Eritrea. Mariam Dearit is a Shrine or church named for the Virgin Mary and is constructed in the trunk of a 500 year old, 75 foot baobab tree. The site which is just two kilometres outside of the city of Keren is a destination for devout pilgrims of all faithsGetty Images
In some rare images coming from Eritrea, on Tuesday a photographer snaps the statue of the Virgin Mary in a shrine inside the trunk of a baobab tree in the town of Keren...
News imageGetty Images School children travel a path to their homes in the Durfo valley eight kilometers outside of the city of Asmara on December 30, 2022 in Asmara, Eritrea. The region is marked by high mountains and deep valleys which are often enveloped in thick clouds during midday as clouds make their way inland from the Red Sea and the port city of Massawa which is a few hours beyond Durfo by car.Getty Images
Pupils make their way to school on Friday in Eritrea's Durfo valley, which is just outside the capital, Asmara.
News imageAFP A woman collects cockles along the edge of the Sine Saloum Delta in Simal on January 3, 2023. - The Sine Saloum Delta is a recognised world heritage site, celebrated for its mangroves, bird life and rich culture of fishing, salt mining and agricultureAFP
A woman in Senegal collects cockles in the Saloum Delta on Tuesday - the three-river delta is listed as a UN world heritage site for its natural beauty and the way it represents the traditional coastal lifestyle of shellfish gathering and fishing.
News imageAFP A Sudanese woman weaves palm leaves (al-Zaaf), a traditional skill of making baskets, food trays and other household items, in the village of Al-Saqqai, some 57km north of the capital Khartoum, on January 4, 2023AFP
A Sudanese palm-leaf weaver uses her traditional basket-making skills on Wednesday in the village of al-Saqqai, about 60km (37 miles) north of the capital, Khartoum.
News imageGetty Images A woman shows her hands painted with henna, in Yaounde, Cameroon on December 30, 2022. Muslims in Cameroon show their happy moments such as weddings, religious holidays, reciters of the Qur'an and hafiz ceremonies with henna paintings applied on their bodies. Henna is made from dried up henna tree leaves, after the leaves turned into powder, water and oil are added; also some plants can be added to the henna applied in this state to obtain different colors upon requestGetty Images
A woman in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, has her hands painted with henna to get ready for a festival on Friday.
News imageGetty Images An Egyptian farmer makes tea on his farmland in the Egyptian countryside on January 3, 2023 in Giza, EgyptGetty Images
After a tough day at work on Tuesday, an Egyptian farmer sits down for a cigarette and a cup of sweet tea.

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