A/HRC/15/25 19. The Working Group examined information received with regard to the American company now known as Xe/Blackwater which had its licence revoked in Iraq following the shooting by its personnel of innocent civilians in Nisour square in Baghdad which killed 17 civilians and severely injured more than 20 others on 16 September 2007. According to a congressional report on the conduct of Blackwater in Iraq, Blackwater guards were found to have been involved in nearly 200 escalation-of-force incidents that involved the firing of shots — with Xe/Blackwater firing the first shots in 80 per cent of the shooting incidents — in Iraq since 2005. Despite the decision of the Iraqi authorities and the congressional reports, Xe/Blackwater was still operating in Iraq at least until September 2009. 20. The Working Group also reported on the alleged involvement of two United Statesbased corporations, CACI and L-3 Services (formerly Titan Corporation) in the torture of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison, Iraq. CACI and L-3 Services were the United States Government contractors responsible for interrogation and translation services respectively at Abu Ghraib and other facilities in Iraq. 21. The Working Group noted that the Government of the United States had taken serious corrective action and welcomed the recent adoption by the American authorities of legislation and regulations aimed at strengthening further the oversight and accountability of PMSCs. It observed that the clarification of applicable jurisdiction had yet to lead to successful prosecutions and punishment of those responsible for human rights abuses and other crimes. The full report and recommendations aimed at improving the American oversight mechanism and at ensuring accountability can be found in an addendum to this report (A/HRC/15/25/Add.3). 22. The Working Group is planning a visit to Equatorial Guinea from 16 to 21 August 2010. The Working Group will focus its visit on the measures taken by the Government in the context of the attempted coups d’état conducted by mercenaries in 2004 and thereafter, including the judicial proceedings related to these cases. It will also study all relevant legislation in force regarding mercenary activities, together with the activities of PMSCs operating in the country. 23. The Working Group has also been invited to visit South Africa during the course of the year to discuss the current efforts of the Government to ensure oversight and monitoring of the activities of South African PMSCs and their personnel operating abroad. D. Regional consultations 24. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 62/145 and Human Rights Council resolution 7/21, the Working Group held its three remaining regional consultations during the period covered in this report. 25. After the first consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Panama in December 20072 and the second in Moscow for Eastern Europe and Central Asia3 held in October 2008, the Working Group held regional consultations in Bangkok in October 2009 for Asia and the Pacific, in Addis Ababa in March 2010 for Africa, and in Geneva in April 2010 for the Western European and Others Group. Reports on each of these last three consultations are available as addenda to this report. 26. Participants at the consultation for Asia and the Pacific noted that PMSCs were on the rise and active worldwide and that the legal framework applicable to these groups 2 3 GE.10-15155 See A/HRC/7/7/Add.5 of 5 March 2008. See A/HRC/10/14/Add.3 of 26 February 2009. 7