US, UK call on Burkina Faso to investigate northern killings

The United States and Britain on Monday called on Burkina Faso's transition authorities to thoroughly investigate the killings of 223 civilians in two northern villages in February that were detailed in a recent Human Rights Watch report and hold those responsible to account.

The governments of the U.S. and UK are "gravely concerned by reports of massacres of civilians by Burkinabe military forces in late February," the countries said in a joint statement.