The government of Mauritania, an Islamic republic in West Africa, continues to persecute blacks, with troops killing hundreds of people because of their race, Amnesty International said. Blacks, who account for about 20% of the population of 1.8 million, are dying and "disappearing" at the hands of government forces on a scale never seen before, the organization reported. The government has "effectively abandoned the rule of law" in southern Mauritania and condoned a campaign against blacks, Amnesty International's report said.