Africa's top shots: 29 July-4 August 2016


A selection of photos from Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week:

On Wednesday, two Zimbabwean protesters smoke old banknotes during a demonstration in the capital, Harare, against the introduction of "bond notes", which are supposed to help with the shortage of US dollars.

Tunisian and Moroccan ice hockey players clash in the rink in Morocco's capital, Rabat, on Saturday during what is dubbed the African Ice Hockey Cup, where teams from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt play each other.

On Friday, women at a coffee factory in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, pack sachets into boxes at the Dormans plant, the oldest coffee company in the country.

On the other side of the continent on Saturday, in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan, women are making large balls of soap, known as kabakrou, from palm oil and caustic soda.

On Wednesday in the Alexandra township of South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, people vote in the country's local elections.

In Libya on Tuesday, a militia man supporting the UN-backed government fires a shell at Islamic State fighters in the city of Sirte.

Malian hip hop artist Inna Modja performs with a percussionist at the UK's Womad festival on Saturday. She has her own sound but draws on influences from artists like Toumani Diabate, Salif Keita, and Oumou Sangare.

On the same day, athletes, including Nigerian wrestler Soso Tamarau, are being welcomed to the Olympic host city of Rio de Janeiro.

South Sudanese Yiech Pur Biel, who is running for the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio, takes in the city's sites on Saturday.

On Wednesday, competitors from Niger get the chance to take a selfie while they wait to be welcomed to the athletes' village.

On the same day, taekwondo athletes from Ivory Coast, Ruth Gbagbi, left, and Mamina Kone, practise ahead of the competition.
Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA and Reuters