Rocker Bono and Somalian rapper K'Naan joined forces in Minneapolis over the weekend (23-24Jul11) to "sound the alarm bell" about the drought and famine spreading across Africa.
The philanthropic U2 star, founder of the global anti-poverty organisation One, met with members of the local Somalian community with K'naan to hear their opinions about how best to deal with the crisis.
Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia - known as the Horn of Africa due to their location in the east of the continent - have been hit with the worst drought in 60 years and millions of residents are fleeing to find refuge in other areas.
And Bono is convinced the famine can be overcome if Somalians speak up and offer advice to international aid organisations based on their own previous experiences living and surviving in Africa.
Speaking at the meeting, Bono said, "The crisis in the Horn is going to be solved by Somalis taking control, taking charge. I'm here, and One is here, to listen and learn and to serve their efforts."
After the discussions, the rocker teamed up with K'naan to perform a duet on classic tune Stand By Me in a show of solidarity between Somalians and the western world.
Minneapolis and Minnesota are home to the largest concentration of Somalis in the U.S.