THE YEAR IN IMAGES

2021 was a year of farewells and new beginnings. Sudden deaths and elections ushered in a new era. After 2020’s lockdowns, people were able to come together again for postponed sports and cultural events as well as protests.

JANUARY NOT THIS TIME, BOBI

Yellow flooded the streets of Kampala as Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni won a sixth term in office in an election his rival Bobi Wine said was marred by fraud and violence.

HOUSE/XINHUA/REA ST AT E TA NZANIAN

MARCH STUCK!

The world watched in wonder as tugs tried to dislodge the container ship Ever Given, which remained wedged in Egypt’s Suez Canal for six days and seven hours from 23 to 29 March. The blockage of the canal, as at least 369 ships queued to pass through, resulted in an estimated $9.6bn worth of lost trade. The Egyptian government impounded the vessel over compensation until an agreement was reached in July.

MARCH MAGUFULI LEAVES THE STAGE

Tanzania’s president John Magufuli, one of Africa’s most prominent Covid-deniers, died amid rumours that he had contracted the virus. A further 45 people died in a stampede at his lying in state.

AFP

FEBRUARY CLASH OF THE GIANTS

Malian fans show their support at a big-screen projection of the 2020 African Nations Championship final, which took place in February 2021. Morocco claimed their second title 2-0.

DIGIT ALGLOBE/GETTY

MARCH LIBYA AWASH WITH MERCENARIES

Libya’s October 2020 ceasefire agreement included the withdrawal of all mercenaries within three months, but a UN panel of experts in March reported that few, if any, had left.

APRIL A MARSHAL TO THE END

President Idriss Déby Itno, who had ruled Chad since 1990, died in battle, aged 68, while commanding troops against militant forces on 19 April. The late president’s son, Mahamat ibn Idriss Déby (saluting his father’s mortal remains in the picture), also a career soldier, has taken the reins of the Conseil Militaire de Transition put in place to lead the nation for 18 months.

SAA TER/BLOOMBERG/GETTY TOM

JUNE ABIY’S LANDSLIDE

Voters in Addis Ababa queue for Ethiopia’s parliamentary and regional elections, in which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s party won 410 of 436 seats. The opposition boycotted the election and the war in Tigray prevented some areas from voting.

O’REILL Y/NYT/REDUX/REA FINBARR

Nigeria announced that its state oil firm, the NNPC, would buy a 20% stake in Aliko Dangote oil refinery for $2.76bn.

RA TNER/REUTERS BAZ

JUNE STEPPING UP TO THE VAX

By June, it was clear that the COVAX vaccination effort in Africa was faltering. Western countries started to wake up to the necessity of sharing, starting with the US.

JUNE EMASWATI RISE UP

Pro-democracy protests broke out in Eswatini – Africa’s last absolute monarchy – in mid-June, and had escalated into violence by the end of the month. The protests are ongoing.

RESER VED RIGHTS A LL

JUNE TIDE TURNS IN TIGRAY

Eight months after the Ethiopian government declared war on the Tigray Defense Forces, the ill-equipped rebel group scored a cascade of victories against one of Africa’s strongest armies and reclaimed the regional capital, Mekelle.

AUGUST PEACEFUL HANDOVER

Supporters of Zambia’s new president, Hakainde Hichilema, celebrated in Lusaka after ex-president Edgar Lungu conceded to the businessman.

SEPTEMBER TEDROS LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

Africa-France links were strengthened when World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met President Emmanuel Macron to launch the construction of the WHO Academy in Lyon, France. The Academy will train health professionals from all over the world.

SEPTEMBER GUINEA COUP

On 5 September, Guineans awoke to the news that special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya had ousted President Alpha Condé in a coup d’état. He is now interim president.

OCTOBER PAINLESS

Aspen Pharmacare opened the Global South’s largest anaesthetics manufacturing facility at the South African plant in Gqeberha where it makes Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines.

SAMB/REUTERS SALIOU

EP A/MAXPPP

GUIDOUM/AP/SIP A FA TEH

SEPTEMBER STRONGMAN NO MORE

Algeria’s former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had resigned in 2019 amid huge protests, died quietly on 17 September. Bouteflika had remained in charge for two decades, weathering the Arab Spring, and at his height had absolute power.

SWIEGERS/BLOOMBERG/GETTY WA LDO

OCTOBER FESPACO IS BACK!

The biennial Pan-African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO), which was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid-19, burst back into action on 16 October with a star-studded live show proclaiming the resilience of both the African film industry and Burkina Faso.