Two Minnesota members of congress from opposite sides of the aisle have formed the Somalia Caucus at the U.S. Capitol.

Fifth District Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison and Sixth District Republican Rep. Tom Emmer said the caucus will advocate for peace and stability in Somalia, which will include efforts to defeat the terrorist network Al-Shabaab.

Minnesota is home to a large Somali-American community, which is concentrated in the Twin Cities and the metro area.

"Together, we represent some of the largest Somali-American communities in the United States," wrote Ellison and Emmer in a joint statement. "For us and the constituents we represent, Somalia is not a far off foreign policy issue, it’s a matter of domestic policy and national security."

The caucus will also help create good governance standards for the country and to bring "Somalia’s informal economy into the formal 21

st

century global marketplace."