SEMAFO: Armed Incident in Bobo Area Montreal, Queb

Montreal, Quebec, August 17, 2018 - SEMAFO Inc. (TSX, OMX: SMF) regrets to report that a bus transporting employees from the town of Bobo-Dioulasso to the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso was shot at by armed bandits this morning. In the exchange of fire between the policemen and bandits, one SEMAFO national employee and one sub-contractor employee lost their lives.

Operations at the Mana Mine, located 80 kilometers from the incident, are not affected. Early analysis suggests that this incident and the armed incident that occurred in the Est region six days ago are unrelated.  However, the Corporation will be increasing its security measures at Mana and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the mine and of its employees.

The Corporation would like to express its sincere sympathy to families of the victims.

About SEMAFO SEMAFO is a Canadian-based mining company with gold production and exploration activities in West Africa.  The Corporation operates the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso, which includes the high-grade satellite deposit of Siou, and is targeting commercial production at the Boungou Mine in the third quarter of 2018. SEMAFO is committed to evolve in a conscientious manner to become a major player in its geographical area of interest. SEMAFO's strategic focus is to maximize shareholder value by effectively managing its existing assets as well as pursuing organic and strategic growth opportunities.

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