SEMAFO Reports Continuous Near-Surface High Grades at Siou: Shallow North Plunge Points to Depth Extension

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Feb 7, 2013) - SEMAFO Inc. (SMF.TO)(SMF.ST) today announced that results from its Phase I delineation drilling program at Siou confirm both grade and vein thickness, particularly within the core 500-meter strike length of the mineralized zones. Current interpretation identifies six different zones generally located in the hanging wall of the main Siou Zone. Results to date suggest that of the zones identified, Siou and Nine show the best continuity and grades.

In addition, a few deeper drill holes were completed along the interpreted shallow north plunge, including WDC-613, which returned 5.45 g/t Au across 4.9 meters at a depth of 200 vertical meters below surface and WDC-609, which returned 7.78 g/t Au across 4.2 meters at roughly the same elevation, but 200 meters north of WDC-613.

Delineation drilling on the Siou Zone commenced late in the fourth quarter 2012 and consisted of 8,797 meters in 43 core holes. The objective of this program was to reduce the drill hole spacing to 50 meters for the top 150 meters of the zone and complete a few deeper cuts in order to trace the potential down-plunge of the deposit. The results of this program will serve as the basis for the inferred resource estimate to be included in the upcoming end-of-year reserves and resource update.

"Our objective for Siou is to include the deposit in our reserve base in 2013," said Michel Crevier, SEMAFO''s Vice-President Exploration and Mine Geology. "Our exploration team remains focused on fast-tracking the Siou deposit towards an eventual production decision. Thus far, the deposit has passed every step towards this objective with brio and continues to provide excellent targets for additional resources, particularly at depth. Furthermore, the exceptional metallurgical results that we recently announced for Siou with recovery rates of over 95% greatly enhance the potential of the zone."

The following table presents the drill result highlights of the recent core drilling program.

Siou Zone Drilling Highlights

DDH No.	Zone	Section (N)	From	To	Au* / Length**
WDC598	Siou	1321400	142.4	144.0	8.98 g/t		/	1.6 m
WDC636	Siou	1321450	173.8	175.8	22.53 g/t		/	2.0 m
WDC639	Siou	1321450	127.6	132.0	2.13 g/t		/	4.4 m
WDC641	Siou	1321450	80.7	82.2	7.22 g/t		/	1.5 m
WDC643	Siou	1321460	40.5	43.2	5.43 g/t		/	2.7 m
WDC594	Siou	1321500	110.2	113.0	23.99 g/t		/	2.8 m
WDC638	Siou	1321550	169.0	172.0	3.38 g/t		/	3.0 m
WDC640	Siou	1321550	127.0	129.0	27.71 g/t		/	2.0 m
					(28.30 g/t uncut)
WDC642	Siou	1321550	84.9	87.9	16.99 g/t		/	3.0 m
WDC644	Siou	1321550	42.0	51.0	10.94 g/t		/	9.0 m
					(15.78 g/t uncut)
WDC588	Siou	1321600	126.0	128.0	10.42 g/t		/	2.0 m
WDC634	Siou	1321640	120.0	123.0	7.36 g/t		/	3.0 m
WDC635	Siou	1321650	74.1	76.7	27.54 g/t		/	2.6 m
					(32.51 g/t uncut)
WDC637	Siou	1321650	44.1	47.0	19.70 g/t		/	2.9 m
WDC629	Siou	1321750	125.0	129.5	11.34 g/t		/	4.5 m
					(15.18 g/t uncut)
WDC630	Siou	1321750	77.0	82.0	14.94 g/t		/	5.0 m
					(19.20 g/t uncut)
WDC631	Siou	1321750	40.0	44.3	13.40 g/t		/	4.3 m
					(16.64 g/t uncut)
WDC586	Siou	1321840	154.5	162.0	5.93 g/t		/	7.5 m
WDC617	Siou	1321900	350.4	351.2	22.83 g/t		/	0.8 m
WDC608	Siou	1322050	117.2	118.0	40.00 g/t		/	0.8 m
					(42.15 g/t uncut)
WDC607	Siou	1322050	163.0	166.0	10.38 g/t		/	3.0 m
WDC605	Siou	1322100	140.6	142.0	15.77 g/t		/	1.4 m
WDC613	Siou	1322100	266.5	271.4	5.45 g/t		/	4.9 m
WDC618	Siou	1322150	98.8	102.1	10.35 g/t		/	3.3 m
WDC616	Siou	1322150	147.0	150.0	11.88 g/t		/	3.0 m
WDC603	Nine	1321100	152.0	159.0	4.19 g/t		/	7.0 m
WDC600	Nine	1321400	229.0	231.5	13.58 g/t		/	2.5 m
WDC598	Nine	1321400	208.5	214.0	4.02 g/t		/	5.5 m
WDC636	Nine	1321450	236.0	239.0	3.09 g/t		/	3.0 m
WDC639	Nine	1321450	199.0	203.0	3.43 g/t		/	4.0 m
WDC641	Nine	1321450	126.6	127.6	40.00 g/t		/	1.0 m
					(44.89 g/t uncut)
WDC594	Nine	1321500	178.0	187.0	7.06 g/t		/	9.0 m
					(9.32 g/t uncut)
WDC642	Nine	1321550	123.0	133.5	2.68 g/t		/	10.5 m
WDC627	Nine	1321750	198.6	206.3	6.47 g/t		/	7.7 m
WDC582	Nine	1321900	146.0	163.0	2.36 g/t		/	17.0 m
WDC583	Nine	1321950	153.0	160.6	5.09 g/t		/	7.6 m
WDC608	Nine	1322050	134.8	138.5	5.79 g/t		/	3.7 m
WDC607	Nine	1322050	184.0	191.0	3.28 g/t		/	7.0 m
WDC618	Nine	1322150	119.5	124.0	3.21 g/t		/	4.5 m
WDC616	Nine	1322150	155.3	158.0	6.55 g/t		/	2.7 m
WDC612	Nine	1322250	167.6	170.5	10.36 g/t		/	2.9 m
					(18.42 g/t uncut)
WDC609	Nine	1322300	273.8	278.0	7.78 g/t		/	4.2 m
WDC640	55	1321550	172.1	172.8	6.31 g/t		/	0.7 m
WDC642	55	1321550	109.0	110.0	3.60 g/t		/	1.0 m
WDC642	46	1321550	146.0	147.0	2.75 g/t		/	1.0 m
WDC634	46	1321640	185.0	186.0	2.91 g/t		/	1.0 m
WDC631	46	1321750	75.0	76.0	3.80 g/t		/	1.0 m
WDC616	10	1322150	121.0	127.0	2.02 g/t		/	6.0 m

* All individual samples are cut at 40 g/t for the Siou and Nine zones and 35 g/t for all other zones.

**All lengths are measured along the hole axis; which is interpreted to be roughly equivalent to true widths.

The Siou is located along the Kokoi Trend, which corresponds to a north-northeast trending magnetic lineament that can be seen over a distance of approximately 30 kilometers. Recent drilling enabled the identification of a total of six (6) sub-parallel zones of quartz veining and gold mineralization within a 50-meter wide corridor of the favourable felsic intrusive contact. Although zones Siou and Nine contain the bulk of the notable results, the remaining four zones are often located in the hanging wall of the two main structures and therefore would inevitably be part of an open-pit shell. Within the two main zones, near-surface results within the 500-meter core of the mineralization continue to show good continuity in both vein width and grade, more particularly within the Siou Zone.

Preliminary deeper drilling was also conducted in an effort to trace the extension of the mineralization. As suspected, the mineralization appears to show a shallow north plunge similar to what is observed at the Wona Deposit. Both the Siou and Nine Zones returned promising results. Holes WDC-613 returned 5.45 g/t Au across 4.9 meters at a depth of 200 vertical meters below surface within the Siou Zone, while hole WDC-609 returned 7.78 g/t Au across 4.2 meters at roughly the same elevation, but 200 meters north of hole WDC-613 and within the Nine Zone.

Further diamond drilling is currently in progress along the north shallow plunge. Meanwhile, ongoing resource evaluation will provide the necessary data to establish the required spacing to upgrade the resources. Results of this evaluation will guide the second phase of delineation drilling scheduled to commence in Q1 2013.

Michel Crevier, P.Geo MScA, Vice-President Exploration and Mine Geology is SEMAFO''s Qualified Person and has reviewed this press release for accuracy and compliance with National Instrument 43-101.

All individual samples represent approximately one-meter in length of core, which was sawn in half. Half of the core is kept on site for reference and its counterpart is sent for preparation and gold assaying to the ALS Mineral Division laboratories in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso or to SEMAFO''s Mana Mine Lab, which uses separate sample preparation equipment exclusive to exploration samples. For reverse-circulation and air core drilling, all individual samples represent approximately one-meter in length of rock chips homogenized and riffle-split to an approximate two-kilogram subsample, which is sent for preparation and gold assaying to the ALS Mineral Division laboratories in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso or to SEMAFO''s Mana Mine Lab. Each sample (reverse-circulation and air core) is fire-assayed for gold content on a 50-gram subsample. In addition to ALS Mineral Division''s own QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control) program and Mana Lab''s own QA/QC program, an internal quality control and quality assurance program is in place throughout the sampling program, using blind duplicates, blanks and recognized industry standards.

About SEMAFO

SEMAFO is a Canadian-based mining company with gold production and exploration activities in West Africa. The Corporation currently operates three gold mines: the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso, the Samira Hill Mine in Niger and the Kiniero Mine in Guinea. 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.

CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and accordingly, actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words or expressions such as "suggest", "objective", "potential", "will", "upcoming", "scheduled", "committed", "evolve", "become", "pursuing", "growth", "opportunities" and other similar words or expressions. Factors that could cause future results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include the ability to provide updated reserves and resources as at the end of fiscal 2012, the ability to include the Siou deposit in the reserve base during 2013, the ability to execute on our strategic focus, fluctuation in the price of currencies, gold or operating costs, mining industry risks, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral reserves and resources, delays, political and social stability in Africa (including our ability to maintain or renew licenses and permits) and other risks described in SEMAFO''s documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in SEMAFO''s 2011 Annual MD&A and 2011 Annual Information Form, as updated in SEMAFO''s 2012 First Quarter MD&A, 2012, Second Quarter MD&A and 2012, Third Quarter MD&A and other filings made with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. These documents are also available on our website at www.semafo.com. SEMAFO disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.

The above information has been made public in accordance with the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act

Figure 1 is available at this address : http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/smfa0207.pdf.