ST. PAUL — Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison is back in the United States after spending time in Somalia, a rare destination for a member of Congress.

Ellison was the first congressman in years to travel to Somalia. The U.S. government recently recognized the Somali government after some stability in a country that had experienced a long, bloody power struggle.

Ellison’s Minneapolis district has a large concentration of residents of Somali decent.

A spokesman said Ellison returned on Friday. He planned to discuss his trip, which also included a stop in Kenya, during a conference call with reporters on Sunday.