The US and UN have given their backing to the Algiers talks. Yesterday, the US state department issued a statement asking Ethiopia not to destroy Eritrea and to stop advancing towards Asmara. Meanwhile the UN politely turned down Eritrea's request to be exempted from the arms embargo.

Ethiopia is in a strong position to insist on addressing issues such as compensation, return of 125-million dollars worth of Ethiopian goods confiscated at Assab and Massawa, settlement of the currency issue, an end to Eritrean support for armed rebellion and terrorism in Ethiopia etc...

The Senafe Front: Based on reports from correspondents, the Senafe-Adi Keyih frontline is about halfway (8 miles/13 km) the distance between Senafe and Adi Keyih (15 miles/25km). This means that Ethiopia has occupied the strategic mountain pass located about 5 km north of Senafe. This would have been the best place for the retreating Eritrean troops to set up a defense line. However, the Eritrean troops were in a state of chaos on the night of May 24/25 when Ethiopian troops appeared on the plateau and cut the road from Senafe to Zalambessa. Within 24 hours, Ethiopian troops had completely routed the Eritreans and taken possession of the mountain pass. Ethiopia also seems to have taken control of the adjoining 9,900-foot mountain (Soyra) – the highest mountain in the area, and probably the highest point in all Eritrea.