A selection of the most striking news images from the African continent this year:

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Oscar Pistorius walks across the courtroom without his prosthetic legs during the third day of Oscar's hearing for a resentence at Pretoria High Court on June 15, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa.Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionOscar Pistorius removed his prosthetic limbs and hobbled around the courtroom at his sentencing hearing in South Africa in June.
People try to jump in the water right before their boat capsizes off the Libyan coast, Aid agencies say the sea-crossing between Libya and Italy is the main route for migrants 25 May 2016Image copyrightITALIAN NAVY VIA AP
Image captionThe capsizing of a boat in the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy is caught on camera in May by the Italian navy as officers rescued more than 560 migrants.
A man carries his five-day-old son after been rescued from a crowded wooden boat as they were fleeing Libya, during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean sea, about 13 miles north of Sabratha, Libya, Monday 29 August 2016Image copyrightAP
Image captionA few months later in August, 20 small boats were rescued off the Libyan coast full of people from Somalia and Eritrea, included one man with his five-day-old baby.
People burn worthless note bearersImage copyrightAFP
Image captionProtesters in Zimbabwean burnt old banknotes during a demonstration in August in the capital, Harare, against the introduction of "bond notes", which are supposed to help with the shortage of US dollars.
A Chibok girl celebrates with family members during an church service held in Abuja, Nigeria - Sunday 16 October 2016Image copyrightAP
Image captionIn October, 21 women and girls were reunited with their families. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign made them world-famous after they were kidnapped by Boko Haram militants from their school in the north-eastern town of Chibok in April 2014.
Market in Okavu, north-western Uganda 18 August 2016Image copyrightPATIENCE ATUHAIRE
Image captionOne side of this road is in Uganda, the other is in DR Congo. Onions cost the same on both sides.
Lucas Sithole of South Africa and Ymanitu Silva of Brazil celebrate together after competing in the wheelchair tennis at central court on day 3 of the Rio 2016 Paralympics on September 10, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionLucas Sithole of South Africa hugged Ymanitu Silva of Brazil after competing in Wheelchair tennis at the Paralympics in September.
Rwanda sitting volleyball players in a line at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Saturday 10 September 2016Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionOn the same day, Rwanda's sitting volleyball team sang the national anthem ahead of a match against China.
South SudanImage copyrightAFP
Image captionAnd a team of refugees in the Olympics for the first time. Half of the team were from South Sudanese, including runner Yiech Pur Biel, left.
Two participants from Imatong and Terekeka counties take part of the South Sudan National Wrestling Competition for peace at Juba Stadium, on Wednesday 20 April 2016 2013.Image copyrightAFP
Image captionSouth Sudan is famous for its wrestling and in April held its first tournament since civil war broke out in 2013.
A fighter of Libyan forces allied with the U.N.-backed government fires a shell with Soviet made T-55 tank at Islamic State fighters in Sirte, Libya, August 2, 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionLibya has been beset by chaos since Nato-backed forces overthrew Col Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011, enabling IS fighters to take shelter in the country. After months of fighting they were ousted from their stronghold in Sirte by the end of the year.
A schoolgirl runs past a burning barricade in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya - Monday 23 May 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionProtesters demanding electoral reforms clashed with the police in the Kibera slum in Kenya's capital Nairobi in May and school children were caught in the middle.
A protester throws rocks next to burning tyres during a demonstration on July 6 2016, in Bulawayo ZimbabweImage copyrightAFP
Image captionUnprecedented protests were held in Zimbabwe throughout 2016. After two activists were detained in July, protestors clashed with police in the country's second city, Bulawayo.
A woman pours water over a child affected by teargas after clashes between police and street vendors in central Harare, Zimbabwe, Tuesday 27 September 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionStreet vendors also protested in Zimbabwe but police retaliated with tear gas, which people tried to wash out of this child's eyes.
A man walks his donkey and its load through flooded streets Beledweyne, north of Mogadishu, Somalia - Thursday 26 May 2016Image copyrightALAMY
Image captionFlash floods in Beledweyne, north of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, in May saw hundreds of families forced out of their homes.
People sit on the top of a truck heavily piled with corn-stalks plies as they head for Mogadishu from Afgoye on October 19, 2016.Image copyrightAFP
Image captionAnd a few months later, in October, this truck was pictured heading to the country's capital Mogadishu.
On Sunday, a young woman is seen through the horns of a bull at a cattle camp in South Sudan 24 April 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionIn April, a young woman is seen through the horns of a bull at a cattle camp in South Sudan.
A soldier blowing a horn during a military operation in Eastern Nile State, South Sudan - Sunday 16 October 2016Image copyrightEPA
Image captionIn October, a South Sudan soldier blows through a cow horn during a military operation.
Kenyan children visit the still-smouldering pyres of more than 100 tonnes of elephant tusks and over 1 ton of rhino horns, in Nairobi National Park, Kenya Monday, May 2, 2016Image copyrightAP
Image captionThe tusks from about 6,700 elephants were burnt in Nairobi National Park in Kenya in April to show the country's commitment to saving elephants...
Burning elephant tusk in Nairobi, Kenya - Saturday 30 April 2016Image copyrightAP
Image captionMore than 100 tonnes of ivory was set alight and it took several days to burn.
Veterinarians and park rangers attend to a sedated elephant outside Amboseli National Park on November 2, 2016.Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionIn an effort to learn more about elephants' migration routes, collars were attached to elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya in November but to do this the elephants had to be sedated.
An African elephants throws mud onto himself at the Mpala Research Center and Wildlife Foundation, near Rumuruti, Laikipia District, Kenya, on January 31, 2016.Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionAnother Kenyan research centre, Mpala, hosts this elephant which created a mud display for the camera.
A mural painted on the walls of houses in Zaraeeb, created by French-Tunisian artist El Seed, is pictured in the shanty area known also as Zabaleen or Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionThe French-Tunisian artist El Seed created this mural painted on the walls of houses in a poor area of Egypt's capital, Cairo.
An artist poses by his pieces of art exposed during the Chale Wote street art festival in Accra, on 21 August 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionOn the other side of the continent, the annual Chale Wote street art festival in Accra, Ghana, continued to grow.
A group of Maasai men crouching around a radio near Saikeri, Kenya - Tuesday 8 November 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionIn November the continent was gripped by the US election, including this group of Maasai men near the Kenyan town of Saikeri listening out for the result on the radio.
Stewardesses stand in line during the inauguration of the new train line linking Addis Ababa to the Red Sea state of Djibouti, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Wednesday 5 October 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionIn October the Ethiopia-Djibouti electric railway line opened, cutting journey times from three days to about 12 hours...
Chinese engineers stand in a line near a train at Furi train station near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Saturday 24 September 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionA lot of the workers on the trains are Chinese.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe blowing out cake candles, Harare, Zimbabwe - Monday 22 February 2016Image copyrightEPA
Image captionZimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe celebrated his 92nd birthday in February with a massive cake.
A Rastafarian smokes, center, after an early morning religious ceremony in Knysna, South Africa, Tuesday, May 10,Image copyrightAP
Image captionIn the South African town of Knysna, a Rastafarian man let the photographer see his religious ceremony in May which includes taking a hit from a marijuana pipe.
Yosri Adjili, 25, who is unemployed, goes on a hunger strike with his mouth sewed during a sit-in protest to get jobs, at the local government office courtyard in Kasserine, Tunisia, January 27, 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionIn a protest at the lack of jobs in Tunisia, an unemployed man sewed his lips together as part of a hunger strike in January.
A supporter of GhanaImage copyrightAFP
Image captionGhana's main opposition New Patriotic Party won the presidential election in December.
Man covered in bodypaint in Nigeria's green and white colours, with the message hommage to Stephen Keshi, stands in stadium 20 June 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionFans paid tribute to Nigerian football legend Stephen Keshi in Togo's capital Lome at a memorial match in June.
A demonstrator at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa - Monday 4 April 2016Image copyrightEPA
Image captionSouth Africa saw a year of student protests against tuition fees.
Opposition supporters listen to a speech during a rally held by the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) in Nairobi, Kenya - Wednesday 1 June 2016Image copyrightEPA
Image captionOne supporter of Kenya's opposition Orange Democratic Movement cut a striking image in the middle of the crowd in a rally in the capital, Nairobi in June.
A worker walks next to a partially collapsed railroad bridge over the River Nzi, near Dimbokro, Ivory Coast - Thursday 8 September 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionA railway bridge crossing over the River Nzi from Ivory Coast to Burkina Faso collapsed, as this September photo shows.
Albinos post on stage during a beauty pageant in Nairobi, Kenya - Friday 21 October 2016Image copyrightAFP
Image captionIn an effort to tackle the stigma faced by people with albinism, a Mr and Miss Albinism contest was organised in Nairobi in October.
Men transport a pig with a motorbike in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo - Wednesday 28 September 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionAnd finally, this motorbike in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has the message stuck "biloba loba to boyi", which translates from the Lingala as "please mind your own business".
BBC