Ethiopian court jails 8 Somalis over failed attack in 2013

An Ethiopian court has sentenced eight Somali nationals to jail terms ranging from two to nine years after they were convicted for planning a failed attack in the capital Addis Ababa.

The convicts, who were accused of belonging to the Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, were found guilty of plotting a suicide attack at the Addis Ababa Stadium during Ethiopia’s World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria in October 2013. The attack did not succeed.

Prosecutors said a number of explosive devices, weapons, hand grenades and football jerseys were recovered from the house rented by the Somali nationals.