I. INTRODUCTION

1. Council may recall that, at its 295th meeting, held on 27 September 2011, it was briefed by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the activities relatirig to the AU-led regional cooperation initiative for the elimination of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Council, on its part, requested the Commission to submit to it a report on the implementation modalities of the main mechanisms provided for in the AU regional cooperation initiative, to enable it to authorize the envisaged operation, in accordance with the relevant provisions of decision Assembly/AU/Dec.369 (XVII) adopted by the 17th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 30th June to 1st July 2011.

2. The present report is submitted in pursuance of the request contained in the press statement of the 29Sth meeting of Council. It provides an overview of the steps taken so far by the Commission pursuant to the relevant decisions of the AU policy organs, outlines the implementation modalities of the regional cooperation initiative and concludes with observations on the way forward.