Ethiopian court jails 8 Somalis over failed attack in 2013

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – 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.

Two Somalis died while trying to make final preparations to construct the bombs for this bombing, the government said at the time.