Benin gears up to hold local elections without key opposition parties Sunday as the authorities push ahead with the vote despite the coronavirus threat and calls for a delay.
But critics say the health risks are too high for a vote that opponents of President Patrice Talon insist should not be happening in the first place.
Benin, traditionally seen as one of the region's most stable democracies, has been mired in a political crisis since a disputed parliamentary poll last April sparked mass protests.
Parties allied to the president won all the seats at the polls last year after opposition groups were effectively banned from standing.
Opponents have called on voters to boycott the poll over the political situation and the risks from coronavirus.