Commentary:
The Hydropolitics of the Nile By Alula Yohannes; Oct 13
On Selling One’s Soul--Sycophantism, An Eritrean Bane by M. Mikael; Oct 11
Pity the Accursed Sycophant Oct 9
Delusional Eritrean Propaganda Tactic (for the benefit of Aradom and Dehai; Oct 7)
The Spin-Doctors of Eritrea (From the East African Forum; Oct 5)
Thoughts on the present impasse in the negotiation process by Stevens Tucker; Oct 1

News:

• Ethiopians stranded in Asmara pawns in Horn of Africa war AFP; Oct 15 Badly biased article --- The rabid hostility of the Eritrean people was vividly displayed right in front of the journalist, and yet he/she slants the article in a way that encourages readers not to believe the Ethiopian accounts.
  
• US Gives Ethiopia $52 Million For Food And Education PANA; Oct 15
  
• Ethiopia Denies Preparing New Offensive PANA; Oct 15
  
• Malawi Explains Deportation Of Eritreans PANA; Oct 15
  
• Gold Rises As Stocks Fall, Coffee Up Reuters; Oct 15

• Sudan seeks extradition of suspects from Eritrea AFP; Oct 14
  
• One dead, 30,000 homeless in Ethiopian floods Reuters; Oct 14
  
• Coffee Plummets; Oil and Gold Weak Reuters; Oct 14

• Daily Coffee Newsletter New York coffee futures register massive gains, closing up over 20% on the day (Wednesday).

• Coffee Jumps On Dry Brazil Weather Reuters, Oct 12; (Coffee prices jumped another 5% on Tuesday, but are still at low levels)
  
• Eritrea's wounded veterans have no time for self-pity AFP, Oct 13;
  
• Now you see it now you don't: propaganda games in the Horn of Africa AFP, Oct 13;

• Ethiopia Reacts To Eritrean Claim Over Zalambessa PANA, Oct 11
  
• Africa's potential water wars BBC; Oct 11
  
• Eritrea's Big Leap Falls Victim to War NY Times, Oct 11
  Note: This article is full of errors. For example, according to IMF data, the average annual Eritrean growth rate from 1993 to 1997 was 4.98% (not 7%). This was only slightly above the average for Africa as a whole, and below Ethiopia’s 7% average growth rate for the comparable period. The claim about foreign investment is refuted by the US embassy report from March 1998 (before the war), describing the Eritrean economy as exhibiting “no export growth, few new firms being created, and downsizing by the government and most companies.“ Also, Ethiopia was not angered by the new Eritrean currency. Rather Ethiopia rejected Eritrea’s request to have its new currency circulate inside Ethiopia - this upset the Eritrean dictator.

• More news...

Economic/Business Articles: US Embassy-Addis Abeba; Commercial Section; Sep 1999

• Privatization In Ethiopia: Past, Present And Future
  
• Building blocks of Ethiopia's construction industry
  
• Ethiopia's mineral prospects
  
• Ethiopia's land policy cools investor interest

Announcements:

• UNDP Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia sets up account to receive private donations to aid needy people in drought affected areas. Ethiopians in the Diaspora - please participate. Read the field reports from the UNDP and please join in this effort (or any like effort) to whatever extent you can. We can make a decisive difference if enough of us participate.

• New Websites added in links section (Oct 2)

More Eritrean Comedy: Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry declares annexation of Zalanbessa. “Zalambesa is sovereign Eritrea territory” – Eritrean Foreign Ministry, October 4, 1999

"Zala Ambessa, just over a mile inside Ethiopia, is not among the disputed areas, but it became a battleground last week because a road linking the port of Massawa to Ethiopia's Tigray region passes through the town." AP, June 11, 1998. Byline: Zala Ambessa, Ethiopia. The Eritrean army attacked the nearby village of Addis Tesfa as part of its invasion of the Zalanbessa area. The article The Story of Addis Tesfa provides some more background.

The ridiculous nature of Eritrea’s claim is obvious to the hundreds of thousands of travelers who crossed the Eritrea-Ethiopia border at Zalanbessa during the period 1991-1998. Even after Eritrea’s invasion, the VOA correspondent in Eritrea was quite puzzled by Eritrea’s position: "Prior to arriving in Zallamabasa, one sees a sign that reads, "You are Leaving Eritrea", and another -- "Welcome to Ethiopia." In the town of Zallamabasa is the Ethiopian charter bank." VOA Report by Carol Pineau, June 11, 1998 (after Eritrea invaded and occupied Zalanbessa).