African Queen Mines Ltd.
Suite 1450, Box 11553
650 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B 4N8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2012                                                                 

TSX.V: AQ

Frankfurt: QM0

AFRICAN QUEEN MINES SECURES DRILLER FOR ITS ODUNDU PROPERTY IN KENYA; MOBILIZATION UNDERWAY

Vancouver, British Columbia - AFRICAN QUEEN MINES LTD. (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has now executed a formal agreement with Kenya-based Akili Minerals Services Limited to undertake a core drilling program at its Odundu property in Southwest Kenya's Rongo Gold Fields.  The Odundu property covers an area of approximately 97 sq. km in the Kanango gold mining area of the Migori District of Nyanza Province in Southwest Kenya near Lake Victoria. The Project is situated some 380 km. by road from the capital city of Nairobi and 60 km. N of the border with Tanzania, forming part of the rich Lake Victoria Greenstone Belt extending from Tanzania and hosting known world-class gold deposits including African Barrick Gold's Bulyanhulu and North Mara Mines, within approximately 100 km. of the Project, and AngloGold Ashanti's Geita Mine.

Mobilization is currently underway, with drilling slated to commence in the near-future.  An initial 2000 m program is contemplated with further meterage to be added by the Company on a result contingent basis. The drill program will be overseen by the Company's senior technical team.  The initial holes are planned to range generally from 80 to 200 m in depth, with a view toward: (i) testing and confirming the gold mineralization associated with a prominent northwest southeast trending shear zone traversing the property, which was initially discovered through the Company's preliminary field work and was further delineated through airbourne and ground geophysics programs (PR dated February 16, 2012), and (ii) testing extensions from such shear zone and other prospective targets within the region.  Gold in the shear zone at Odundu appears to be associated with rich sulfide mineralization and has been explored thus far over a strike of approximately 1.5 k

The Company's rights to the Project arise from an Earn-In and Joint Venture Agreement with Kenyan-based Abba Mining Company ("Abba"), under which the Company may earn up to an 85% interest in the Project by funding prescribed optional stages from exploration through feasibility. The Company is designated as manager and operator of the Project on behalf of the joint venture partners. The Project is being managed on behalf of the Company on-site by Senior Exploration Geologist Mike Othitis, P.Geol. AI, MA, Bsc., a qualified person.   General Project oversight is being provided by Senior Consulting Geologist Pete Siegfried (M.Sc, MAusIMM).

According to Irwin Olian, CEO of the Company, "We are delighted to be moving forward with drilling at Odundu, which we view as an exceptional target.  The convergence of positive geochemical and geophysics data from our initial exploration activities suggests a high probability of success in our upcoming reconnaissance drill program."

About African-Queen

The Company is an exploratory resource company with diversified mineral properties in Southern, East and West Africa. It is exploring its properties in Mozambique, Ghana and Kenya for gold and other metals and it is undertaking exploration in Botswana and Namibia for diamonds, gold and other metals. In Mozambique the Company has approximately 230 sq. km. under license for gold and metals under an agreement with another company. In Ghana it has 28.9 sq. km. under license for gold. In Kenya it has approximately 850 sq. km. under license for gold and metals, and a further 737 sq. km. of gold and other minerals licenses under agreements with two other companies. The Company's operations in Mozambique are carried out through its subsidiary PAM Mocambique Limitada and its operations in Ghana are carried out through its subsidiary AQ Ghana Gold Limited. Its operations in Kenya are being carried out through its operating subsidiary AQ Kenya Gold Limited.  Its operations in Botswana are carried out through its operating subsidiary, PAM Botswana (Pty) Ltd.; its operations in Namibia are carried out through its operating subsidiary PAM Minerals Namibia (Pty) Ltd. The Company has its executive offices in Vancouver, Canada.  The Company was incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada on April 30, 2008 and received certain southern African assets in a spin off transaction related to the acquisition of Pan African Mining Corp. by Asia Thai Mining Co., Ltd.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
AFRICAN QUEEN MINES, LTD.

"Irwin Olian"                        
Irwin Olian
Chairman & CEO

For more information, contact:

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