The U.S. government says it deplores Sudan's decision to name a suspected Darfur militia leader to a senior government position.
State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos Tuesday noted that accused militia leader, Musa Hilal, is under both U.S. and U.N. financial sanctions for his alleged actions in the Darfur region.
Rights group say Hilal helped to train Janjaweed militiamen blamed for killing civilians and burning down villages in Darfur.
Monday, Sudan confirmed that Hilal is now an adviser to the minister of federal affairs. President Omar al-Bashir said the accusations against Hilal are untrue. Hilal has also denied the allegations.
An estimated 200,000 people have been killed during Darfur's five year conflict. More than two million others have been displaced.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
