Merger completion and temporary suspension

 
TIDMMANA 
 
14 October 2009 
 
TSX-V:  AUR 
AIM:       AAAM 
 
COMPLETION OF MERGER, SHARE CONSOLIDATION, NAME CHANGE, DE-LISTING OF 
AFRICAN AURA RESOURCES LTD AND TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF TRADING ON AIM 
 
Mano River Resources Inc. ("Mano" or the "Company"), the TSX  Venture 
Exchange ("TSX-V") and AIM  listed exploration to production  company 
focused on gold and iron ore  in West Africa, is pleased to  announce 
the completion  of its  merger with  African Aura  Resources  Limited 
("AAR", TSX-V:AAZ) (the "Transaction"). 
 
Highlights: 
 
  * AAR shareholders received 1.57 shares in Mano for each share held 
    in AAR 
  * Mano consolidated its enlarged issued share capital on a 1 new 
    share for 8 existing shares basis 
  * Mano changed its name to African Aura Mining Inc ("African Aura") 
  * African Aura to trade on AIM (AAAM) and on TSX-V (AUR) 
  * Having been acquired by Mano, AAR shares have been delisted from 
    TSX-V 
  * David Netherway (Non-Executive Chairman) and Steven Poulton 
    (Non-Executive Director) appointed to enlarged board of African 
    Aura 
  * Updated company website at www.african-aura.com 
 
 
Merger details 
The Transaction was structured as  a merger under the corporate  laws 
of the  British  Virgin  Islands  ("BVI"),  in  accordance  with  the 
combination agreement dated 30  June 2009 between  AAR and Mano.  AAR 
has merged  with MANAAR  Limited, a  wholly-owned BVI  subsidiary  of 
Mano. AAR shareholders received 1.57  shares of Mano for each  common 
share they held in  AAR, provided that no  fractional shares of  Mano 
were issued. 
 
After closing of  the Transaction,  Mano undertook  a 1  for 8  share 
consolidation  (one  new   post-consolidation  share   for  every   8 
pre-consolidation shares) and changed its corporate name to  "African 
Aura Mining Inc.". Post merger  and post share consolidation  African 
Aura has an issued share capital of 52,884,456 shares on an undiluted 
and 60,487,568 shares on a fully diluted basis. The shares of African 
Aura will trade on  the TSX-V and AIM  markets under the symbols  AUR 
and AAAM, respectively. In connection with the Transaction AAR shares 
have been delisted from the TSX-V. 
 
Temporary suspension to trading on AIM 
 
Pursuant to  the share  consolidation, the  Company was  required  to 
obtain a new ISIN and re-admit the post-consolidated shares to  CREST 
in order that trades can be settled electronically. The Company is in 
the process of  admitting the post-consolidated  shares to CREST  and 
hopes to  complete  this  process  today.  As  such,  the  Board  has 
requested a temporary suspension of the trading of its shares on  the 
AIM Market of the  London Stock Exchange. The  Company is seeking  to 
resolve this issue as soon  as possible and anticipates  re-admission 
of the  post-consolidated  shares during  the  course of  today.  The 
Company will update the market in due course. 
 
Post merger strategy 
 
African Aura Mining Inc ("African Aura") will focus on creating value 
from its advanced portfolio of gold and iron assets: 
 
Liberian assets: 
 
  * 1.4 million ounce New Liberty gold (NI 43-101, 13.533Mt measured 
    and indicated 3.18 g/t Au) 
  * A pipeline of multiple hard rock gold deposits within truckable 
    distances of New Liberty 
  * 1.08 Bt at  37.6% iron at Putu, under joint venture with 
    Severstal Resources 
 
 
Cameroon assets: 
 
  * 12km long Nkout iron project, grab samples averaging 54% iron 
    along a 5km section 
  * Resource drilling at Batouri gold project and portfolio of 
    Archaean and Birimian gold prospects 
  * Exploration of Uranium and Rare Earth Element prospects 
 
 
The initial  focus of  African  Aura will  be  on creating  value  in 
Liberia by advancing the 1.4Moz  New Liberty gold project in  towards 
production (targeting 100,000 ounces per annum) and resource drilling 
of its  satellite  deposits  (including Weaju,  Gondoja  and  Sillver 
Hills) and the completion of a 27,000m drilling programme to  enlarge 
the resource of the 1.08bt Putu iron ore project. In parallel African 
Aura will continue the cost  effective exploration of its Nkout  iron 
ore project and portfolio of  gold and uranium projects in  Cameroon. 
Where appropriate,  cost  and risk  sharing  joint ventures  will  be 
undertaken  and  further  merger  and  acquisition  opportunities  in 
sub-Saharan Africa will continue to be assessed as part of the merged 
company's broader long  term strategy  to become  a leading  resource 
company in Africa with robust gold and iron ore divisions. 
 
Board appointments 
As part  of  the  Transaction  David  Netherway  has  been  appointed 
Independent Chairman of the board of Aura and Steven Poulton has been 
appointed as an independent director. 
 
David Netherway is a mining engineer with over 30 years of experience 
in the  mining industry  and is  the CEO  of Shield  Mining Ltd.,  an 
Australian listed gold exploration company. David was involved in the 
construction and development  of the Iduapriem,  Siguiri and  Kiniero 
gold mines  in  West Africa  and  has mining  experience  in  Africa, 
Australia, China, Canada,  India and the  former Soviet Union.  David 
served as the CEO of Toronto listed Afcan Mining Corporation, a China 
focused gold mining company, that was sold to Eldorado Gold in  2005. 
David has also held senior management  positions in a number of  gold 
mining companies, including Golden Shamrock Mines, Ashanti Goldfields 
and Semafo Inc. He is currently the Chairman of GMA Resources plc and 
a director of the KazakhGold Group and ALTUS Resource Capital Ltd. 
 
Steven Poulton holds an honours degree in Geology (Southampton) and a 
masters degree in Mining  Geology (Camborne School  of Mines). He  is 
the CEO and  co-founder of  private resource  investment group  ALTUS 
Strategies Ltd and  is a director  of ALTUS Asset  Management Ltd,  a 
subsidiary and the investment manager  of Altus Resource Capital  Ltd 
(LSE: ARCL). Steven  worked for Mano  from 1998 to  2005. In 2002  he 
co-founded AIM listed Ariana Resources  (AIM: AAU) and was its  Chief 
Executive between 2004 and  2007. In 2004 he  was the founder of  AAR 
which listed on the TSX-V in 2008 and through its merger with Mano in 
2009 created  African  Aura  (TSX-V:  AUR  &  AIM:  AAAM).  He  is  a 
non-executive director of diamond  producer Stellar Diamonds Ltd,  an 
independent subsidiary of African Aura. 
 
About African Aura Mining Inc. 
African  Aura  is  an   established  West  African  exploration   and 
development company with a primary listing  on the TSX-V (AUR) and  a 
secondary listing on London's AIM (AAAM). African Aura is focused  on 
the development of world-class iron  ore and gold deposits in  highly 
prospective, under  explored  countries of  sub-Saharan  Africa.  The 
Company has a highly motivated and experienced team with a record  of 
discovering mines and  taking projects through  development and  into 
production in Africa. 
 
African Aura's assets include  the New Liberty  gold deposit and  the 
Putu iron ore project, both in Liberia and a 59% interest in  diamond 
producer Stellar Diamonds Ltd. A pioneer in West Africa, African Aura 
has attracted excellent strategic partners always with the  objective 
of preserving or enhancing shareholder value. For further information 
on  African  Aura   you  are   invited  to  visit   its  website   at 
www.african-aura.com, or SEDAR's website at www.sedar.com, or contact 
one of the following: 
 
 
African Aura Mining Inc. 
Luis da Silva, President & CEO 
                                           Tel:  [phone] 
 
Evolution Securities Limited 
Simon Edwards / Chris Sim / Neil Elliot    Tel:  [phone] 
 
Pelham Public Relations 
Charles Vivian / James MacFarlane          Tel:  [phone] 
 
 
Forward-looking Statements 
This press release includes  certain forward-looking statements.  All 
statements,  other  than  statements  of  historical  fact,  included 
herein,  including  without  limitation,  statements  regarding   the 
Transaction and  future  plans and  objectives  of African  Aura  are 
forward-looking statements  that involve  various known  and  unknown 
risks  and   uncertainties   as   well   as   other   factors.   Such 
forward-looking statements  are  subject to  a  number of  risks  and 
uncertainties that  may  cause actual  results  or events  to  differ 
materially from current expectations,  including delays in  obtaining 
or failure to obtain required  regulatory approvals. There can be  no 
assurance that such statements will  prove to be accurate and  actual 
results  and  future  events  could  differ  materially  from   those 
anticipated in such statements. Any forward-looking statements  speak 
only as  of  the  date hereof  and,  except  as may  be  required  by 
applicable law, African  Aura disclaim  any obligation  to update  or 
modify such forward-looking  statements, either  as a  result of  new 
information, future events or for any other reason. 
 
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider 
(as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) 
 accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 
 
Ends 
 
=--END OF MESSAGE--- 
 
 
 
 
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is 
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.