JUBA, Sudan, June 7 (Reuters) - An Australian and two Kenyans have been acquitted of murder charges in the south Sudan town of Rumbek, a Kenyan official said on Thursday.

Kenyans Bernard Alumasa and James Mbithi and Australian George Forbes, working in south Sudan, were sentenced for murder last month after a Ukrainian national was found hanging from a towel rack in their compound.

A Sudanese man was also convicted but his situation now is unknown.

"They were acquitted yesterday," said Peter Angore, acting Kenyan Consulate in the south Sudan capital of Juba. He said the court of appeal acquitted them because of a lack of evidence.

The men could have faced execution.

The three men travelled to the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Wednesday. Thousands of foreign workers have flooded into southern Sudan as development began following a 2005 peace deal.

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