Mugabe backtracks on UN pullout

President Robert Mugabe has had a massive climb-down on threats to drag Africa out of the United Nations.

Last week, South Africa filed notice to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Information minister Christopher Mushowe now claims Mugabe was misquoted in his several threats.

Mugabe dragged the country out of the CommonWealth.

"The President did not threaten to pull out of the UN, but merely outlined the concerns of the African Union over the composition of the Security Council" said the minister.

"There needs to be reforms, which will see Africa getting a permanent seat and if Africa pulls out, it can't be called the UN,".

In September, Mugabe the pull-out was in line with sentiments expressed by like-minded African countries which feel the current composition of the UN Security Council was unfair to Africa.

African countries want two permanent seats in the Security Council and five non-permanent ones.

Mugabe, who has led calls for reforms, said most of his African peers, whose countries depend on western benevolence, were too timid to join his demands for the changes.

After the pull out, Mugabe said, rebel states would form a breakaway body alongside China and Russia, the two UN permanent members who have found themselves constantly called to veto some UN Security Council decisions for military interventions in certain world territories.