Appointment of Senior Geologist - Wayu Boda

Alecto Minerals plc / EPIC: ALO / Market: AIM / Sector: Exploration & Development

9 December 2011

Alecto Minerals plc ('Alecto' or 'the Company')

Appointment of Senior Geologist at Wayu Boda Gold Project, Ethiopia

Alecto Minerals plc, the AIM listed resource investment company focussed on Africa, has appointed a Senior Geologist to strengthen its initial reconnaissance work at its 945.5 sq km Wayu Boda Gold Project ('Wayu Boda') located in the central-southern Adola greenstone belt in southern Ethiopia. Wayu Boda is held through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Rift Valley Resources Limited, following the recent acquisition.

Wayu Boda is highly prospective for gold, as demonstrated by the extensive artisanal workings on site and the evaluation of work and field visits undertaken. Exploration will be focussed towards developing the assets through the gold resource development cycle. It is anticipated that initial reconnaissance work will focus on the gold targets currently being worked by artisans, which includes two spatially distinct artisanal workings with extensive strikes, open along strike and at depth. Following analysis of this work, the Company aims to commence a detailed exploration work programme.

The Company has been informed that it requires a further exploration licence for emeralds following the receipt of the gold and associated minerals exploration licence for Wayu Boda as noted on 25 November 2011. The Company's priority focus in the near term is on developing the gold targets on site, however, it has submitted an expression of interest in gaining an additional permit for emerald exploration to the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines.

Alecto Executive Director Damian Conboy said, "The appointment of a senior geologist marks our commitment to advancing the Wayu Boda Licence. Over the coming months, we will bolster our geological team and ramp up our work programme on site to develop our knowledge of the extensive gold mineralisation already apparent through our own assessment work and artisanal workings on the licence area."

**ENDS**

For further information, please visit www.alectominerals.com or contact:

Notes:

Alecto Minerals plc is an AIM listed exploration company focussed on Africa with a diverse portfolio of exploration assets in Mauritania and Ethiopia. In Mauritania, it has three gold and base metal development licences totalling 1,902 sq km and two uranium licences totalling 1,592 sq km in the highly prospective Mauritanide mobile belt. It also holds the 1,953 sq km gold exploration licence in the highly prospective Aysid-Metekel region of north western Ethiopia and the 945 sq km Wayu Boda gold licence in the mineral-rich central-southern Adola greenstone belt in southern Ethiopia. 

The Company is committed to conducting exploratory work across its portfolio, designed to strengthen its knowledge of the assets and delineate targets for further exploration. In tandem, the Board continues to evaluate a number of synergistic assets to build shareholder value.