Washington — The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has openly appealed for international support to enhance regional efforts in ending the threat posed by the Uganda rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

"I call upon the international community to support the implementation of a coordinated regional strategy to address the threat and the impact of LRA activities," said Ki-moon in his letter on the activities of the UN regional office for Central African and on LRA affected areas.

"Only by providing the necessary resources will we be able to ensure the success of continuing efforts by the national authorities, the African Union and other international partners in this regard," he adds.

The UN chief's report, issued on 11 June, 2012, was reportedly submitted pursuant to the request of the Security Council contained in the statement issued by its President on 14 November 2011, in which the Secretary General is required to inform the Security Council about activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and developments in relation to LRA.

The Joseph Kony-led LRA are known to have carried out the worst of its atrocities in northern Ugandan in the 1990s, but had, by 2004, largely been driven of the area through a sustained military effort. However, remnants of the insurgent group reportedly continued to attack civilians in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Ki-moon, in his report, presented an update on activities undertaken to counter the LRA threats to regional peace and security, further highlighting the major development in the Central African region. These include, among others the political and security issues, socio-economic, human rights and gender as well cross border threats.

Over 445,000 people, according to the UN Secretary General, has as of 31 March been displaced or were living as refugees because of LRA activities in CAR, DRC and South Sudan, with an estimated 341,000 internally displaced persons in DRC's Orientale province alone.

Despite all these, Ki-moon says the UN and African Union launched a coordinated response, which saw both its special representative and Francisco Madeira, the special envoy of the African Union for the LRA issues, visit the LRA-affected countries to assess progress in efforts to address the threat posed by LRA.

"They obtained from all stakeholders consulted renewed commitment to the implementation of the African Union-led Regional Cooperation Initiative against LRA," he said.

The UN chief also lauds the role of the 5,000 AU and UN-backed troops from Uganda, South Sudan, the DRC and Central African Republic, currently on a joint mission to end the LRA insurgency, which he said was part of initiative authorized by the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC).

In the report, Mr. Ban says he is encouraged by the growing cooperation among stakeholders working to eliminate the threat posed by LRA. In March, the four countries affected by the LRA's activities launched a joint military task force to pursue the rebel fighters.

"I am encouraged by the growing cooperation among stakeholders working to eliminate the threat posed by LRA," he said, while calling upon the international community to support the implementation of a coordinated regional strategy to address the threat and the impact of LRA activities, including through disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration efforts.

"Only by providing the necessary resources will we be able to ensure the success of continuing efforts by the national authorities, the African Union and other international partners in this regard," Ki-moon added.