Zimbabwe on Friday attacked Britain for dragging the United Nations into its "bilateral differences" over land reform with the country.

This follows this week's attempts by Britain to pressure the United Nations to condemn Zimbabwe over a clean-up campaign the country carried out early this year to rid cities of slum, in which thousands of illegal housing structures were demolished.

United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan issued a statement, following "pressure" from British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Prince Charles, expressing concern over the plight of people affected by the clean up campaign, according to the Zimbabwean government.

In response, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said it was most regrettable that Britain was continuing to "abuse " the UN framework to try and settle scores with Zimbabwe.

"Over the years, Britain has tried to drag her bilateral dispute with Zimbabwe onto the agenda of the United Nations even at the expense of the rules and procedures governing the conduct of business in the world body," the minister said.

Zimbabwe, the minister said, was already working with a UN country team on a cooperation framework to assist people affected by Operation Restore Order, and had since indicated to the world body that it only required "complimentary assistance."

He said the government was developing a cooperation framework under its housing delivery program based on lasting shelter solutions and not on some "fictitious humanitarian crisis."

"Zimbabwe is committed to producing a lasting solution to the shelter requirements of all its citizens under the clean up campaign," he said.

Source: Xinhua