“This was a very special day for the entire Semafo team,” said Benoit La Salle. “This inauguration is the culmination of the efforts of hundreds of individuals over many years. Mana will undoubtedly become a showcase for Semafo and Burkina Faso moving forward.”

“We are pleased and proud of the smooth, successful ramp-up of the Mana mine and remain positive that we will meet our 2008 production guidance of 60,000 to 70,000 oz,” said Benoit Desormeaux, executive vice president and COO. “Our ongoing commitment to best practices and corporate responsibility is fundamental to the continued success at Mana and all of our operations.”

Mana is Semafo’s newest mine, approximately 200 km west of the capital Ouagadougou. The Mana mine’s first gold pour took place on March 31, with commercial production declared during the second quarter 2008. Mana has a total of 924,600 oz of gold mineral reserves, 317,800 oz of measured and indicated resources and 1,867,100 oz of inferred resources. The Mana start-up marked the third time Semafo has successfully brought a West African gold project into production.