Supporters of former Ghana President and presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama (unseen) rise flags of NDC political party on they suit in a car during an electoral caravan ahead of presidential election of December 7, 2024, in Accra, on December 3, 2024. The management of the economy will be key when Ghana votes on December 7 to replace President Nana Akufo-Addo who steps down after two terms in office. (Photo by Olympia de Maismont/AFP Photo)





The Maasai, one of the oldest tribes of East Africa, live a semi-nomadic lifestyle, and known with their distinctive clothing and jewelry in Masai Mara, Tanzania on December 6, 2024. The men of the tribe engage in cattle herding while the women take care of the daily household chores and upbringing of their children. (Photo by Abdulrahman Andrew Abel Pallango/Anadolu via Getty Images)





A model walks the runway during the final show of Dakar Fashion Week at Parc Hann, Dakar, December 7, 2024. (Photo by John Wessels/AFP Photo)





Senior company members of the Dance Centre Kenya (DCK) Neema Lazzaroni (C) and Azza Qamar Rollins (R) hold onto each other while following the performance backstage ahead of their roles in The Nutcracker at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi on December 7, 2024. The Nutcracker is a beloved Christmas ballet, first performed in 1892, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Known for its enchanting score and festive themes, it has become a holiday tradition worldwide. (Photo by Luis Tato/AFP Photo)





Supporters of Ghana's main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party candidate and former President John Dramani Mahama celebrate after his rival Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat day after the presidential and parliamentary election in Ghana, on December 8, 2024. (Photo by Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)





A man has a grenade attached to his head as activists and civil society members participate in a nationwide march titled “End Femicide Kenya” to raise awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) and to pressure the Kenyan government to implement stricter laws and policies to combat this pervasive issue, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya on December 10, 2024. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)





Inhabitants of Foumban pose for a portrait near the city gates during the 548th edition of the Nguon festival of the Bamoun people in Foumban on December 8, 2024. Tourists and officials flocked to a remote region to attend a governance ritual held as part of the 548th “Ngouon”, a royal festivity that dates back to 1384 when the kingdom was founded. Its rite, which puts the monarch's popularity to the test, had not been celebrated in six years but was recognised in December 2023 by UNESCO as intangible heritage of humanity. (Photo by Daniel Beloumou Olomo/AFP Photo)





A man naps on a motorbike taxi beneath a bridge in Accra, Ghana on December 9, 2024. (Photo by Olympia de Maismont/AFP Photo)





Botswana President Duma Boko kneels as a show of respect during the funeral and memorial service of the late Pitseng Gaoberekwe in Metsiamanong village, Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), on December 9, 2024. Pitseng Gaoberekwe, a prominent San elder and historical figure, died in 2021, sparking a legal battle over his burial in his ancestral land, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). After nearly three years of disputes, the Botswana government finally agreed to his burial wish in December 2024. (Photo by Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP Photo)





A man runs after riot police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse activists and civil society members, as they participate in a nationwide march titled “End Femicide Kenya” to raise awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) and to pressure the Kenyan government to implement stricter laws and policies to combat this pervasive issue, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya on December 10, 2024. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)





Activists chant slogans and hold placards as they take part in a march against femicide and gender-based violence in Nairobi, on December 10, 2024. Kenyan police teargassed a peaceful march against femicide in the capital Nairobi on December 10, 2024, detaining a number of protesters even as more streamed onto the streets in support. (Photo by Simon Maina/AFP Photo)





Executive Director for Amnesty International Kenya, Irungu Houghton is detained by plainclothes policemen as activists and civil society members participate in a nationwide march titled “End Femicide Kenya” to raise awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) and to pressure the Kenyan government to implement stricter laws and policies to combat this pervasive issue, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya on December 10, 2024. (Photo by John Muchucha/Reuters)





Presidential guards wait for the arrival of President of Angola Joao Lourenco during his state visit at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, South Africa, 12 December 2024. The two leaders will have meetings aiming at strengthening the ties between the two countries. (Photo by Kim Ludbrook/EPA/EFE)





Beatrice Nyariara, 81, trains with Esther Njeri, 82, and members of the Granny Defence “Cucu Jikinge” program that trains elderly women on the basic Karate skills for self-defence, in the wake of the femicide crisis in the Korogocho settlement within Kasarani in Nairobi Kenya, on November 12, 2024. (Photo by Monicah Mwangi/Reuters)





A Maasai moran competes in a traditional high-jump event during the social sporting event dubbed the Maasai Olympics to offer the warriors an alternative to killing lions as part of their traditional rite of passage, in the Kimana sanctuary, at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, near the Kenya-Tanzania border in Kimana, Kajiado, Kenya on December 14, 2024. (Photo by Onsase Juma/Reuters)





A Maasai warrior (C) competes in a traditional high jump, competition at the social sporting event dubbed Maasai Olympics 2024, held in Kimana Sanctuary which is within the Amboseli-Tsavo Ecosystem near the border with Tanzania, adjacent to the Amboseli National Park in Kajiado, Kenya, 14 December 2024. The Maasai Olympics is an event held every two years since it was first held in 2012, which was organized by Maasai leaders and the wildlife conservation group 'Big Life Foundation' to offer the warriors an alternative to killing lions as part of their traditional rite of passage. Hundreds of young Maasai men representing four manyattas (villages) of Eselenkei, Kuku, Mbirikani, and Rombo compete in six track-and-field events based on the traditional warrior skills including, running 200 meters, 800 metres and 5,000 meters, rungu (club) throwing into a windsock, spear throwing, high jump, and 1500 and 100 meters running for women to win medals, cash prizes or a breeding bull as the grand prize. (Photo by Daniel Irungu/EPA/EFE)





An Amabutho (Zulu regiment) gestures at Umkhonto We Sizwe (MKP) party supporterts gathering during the party's first anniversary celebrations at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Rajesh Jantilal/AFP Photo)





South African aquarist Mthobisi Mlambo dressed as Santa Claus interacts with various species of fish during a show at Africa's largest marine park, the South African Marine Biological Research (SAMBR) Sea World based at the uShaka Marine World, in Durban on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Rajesh Jantilal/AFP Photo)





Smoke rises from the parliament building following a protest by opposition in Monrovia, Liberia, Wednesday, December 18, 2024. (Photo by Anthony Williams/AP Photo)





An. aerial view of dust clouds from the Sahara Desert covering the sky over Dakar, the capital of Senegal, shows streets and avenues shrouded in dust as visibility drops below 500 meters across the city on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Cem Ozdel/Anadolu via Getty Images)