African Queen Granted Permits for 2011 Work Program at Noyem-Nyafoman Gold Project in Ghana

AFRICAN QUEEN MINES LTD. (the 'Company?) is pleased to announce
that it has now received the requisite permits for its Phase 1 2011
Exploration Program, including ground exploration work as well as an
airbourne geophysical survey, on its Noyem-Nyafoman Prospecting License
LVB 10244/1995. The Chief Inspector of Mines has granted AQ Ghana Gold
Limited, the Company′s operating subsidiary in Ghana, a Prospecting
Permit covering the ground program. The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority
has also granted approval for the Company′s planned airbourne
geophysical survey comprising up to 2370 line kilometers to be flown by
helicopter. Equipment and personnel are presently being mobilized with a
view toward commencing work as soon as practicable.

The Noyem-Nyafoman Gold Project. The License currently covers an
area of approximately 28.9 sq. km. located within the Birim North
District of Ghana′s Eastern Region, approximately 130 km. NW of Accra.
It is at the northeastern end of Ghana′s well-known, gold-producing
Ashanti Belt, near Newmont′s Akyem deposit which is presently under
development for production. In addition to its close proximity to Accra
which facilitates access, the Project is bisected in a NE-SW direction
by a tarred road. It has long been host to large numbers of artisanal
miners and in October, 2008, a shed-off area of 8.98 sq. km. adjacent to
the current license area was reserved for small scale mining. There
remain issues to be resolved with a number of the local small scale
miners near one corner of the license area whose claims may be in
conflict with contemplated development of a large scale project, and
settlement negotiations are continuing. However, the Company has
identified other highly prospective targets on the license area and
those areas will be the focus of the 2011 work programs. A core drilling
program is planned this year upon completion of the preliminary
exploration and targeting work.

The Akan Agreement. The Company′s rights to the Project are
subject to an Earn-In and Joint Venture Agreement (the 'Akan
Agreement?), with Marshall Islands′ private company Akan Exploration
Ltd. ('Akan?), under which the Company may earn up to a 75% interest in
the Noyem Gold Project by funding prescribed stages from exploration
through feasibility. Akan has the right to participate at its election
pro-rata after the Company has reached 60% ownership interest by funding
all costs through pre-feasibility. The Company is designated as manager
and operator of the Project and holds the License on behalf of the joint
venture partners, subject to full consultation with Akan on all material
aspects of the Project.

About African-Queen

The Company is an exploratory resource company with diversified mineral
properties in Southern and West Africa. It is exploring its properties
in Mozambique, Kenya and Ghana for gold and other metals and it is
undertaking exploration in Botswana and Namibia for diamonds, gold and
other metals. The Company′s licenses in Botswana comprise approximately
2890 sq km of diamond prospects. In Mozambique it has approximately 230
sq km of gold and other metals licenses under an agreement with another
company. In Kenya it has approximately 737 sq. km. of gold and other
minerals licenses under agreements with two other companies. 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.; its
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. The
Company has its executive offices in Vancouver, Canada.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

AFRICAN QUEEN
MINES, LTD.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of the
information contained herein. The statements made in this press release
may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of
risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the
Company′s expectations.

African Queen Mines Ltd.

Irwin Olian, 604-899-0100

Fax:
604-899-0200

President and CEO

tigertail@africanqueenmines.com

or

Carrie
Howes

Phone: Germany - 49 (0) 21141 740411

U.K. - 44 (0) 870
490 5443

Canada - 1 416 900 3634

Corporate Communications

carrie@africanqueenmines.com