Africa's Year in Pictures-2019

Parts of southern and East Africa grappled with natural disasters. Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe declared drought an emergency, as it destroyed crops and claimed the lives of animals. In beef-producing Botswana, some 40,000 cattle died as rivers and lakes dried up - including Lake Ngami where a calf found itself stuck in the mud in August. Photo: BBC

In the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa, people climbed trees to watch opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi's presidential inauguration in January, following the first smooth transfer of power in the country's troubled history. Photo: BBC

In July, Ethiopia's government launched a major reforestation programme to combat climate change - a move welcomed by environmentalists. The government said just more than 3.5 billion trees were planted in three months. Photo: BBC

it was also the year when Ethiopia suffered its deadliest plane disaster. An Ethiopian Airways Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed on 10 March, killing all 157 people on board, with the pain of families worsened by the fact that none of bodies were recovered. Photo: BBC

A bride from the Nubian ethnic group has her make-up done in August before her wedding in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Photo: BBC

Earlier in the year two cyclones - Idai and Kenneth - battered southern Africa, killing at least 900 people and leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. Mozambique was worse-affected, with entire villages wiped out. Photo: BBC

Meanwhile, Nigeria's main city Lagos was colourfully decorated for Christmas. Photo: BBC

At a wedding festival in central Morocco in September, Amazigh women pose for selfies. The Amazigh are the indigenous people of North Africa, and are pushing for greater recognition of their language and culture. Photo: BBC

In September, Zimbabweans mourned their first post-independence leader, Robert Mugabe, who died aged 95. Photo: BBC

Zulu traditionalists held their annual Reed Dance ceremony at King Goodwill Zwelithini's Enyokeni Palace to promote old-fashioned family values to combat HIV/Aids and teenage pregnancies. Photo: BBC