DRILLING COMMENCES ON AFRICAN QUEEN'S YELLOWJACKET GOLD PROJECT

Vancouver, British Columbia - AFRICAN QUEEN MINES LTD. (the 'Company') is pleased to announce that diamond drilling has now commenced on its Yellowjacket Gold Project 9 km east of Atlin, B.C. (the 'Project'). The first phase of drilling comprises up to 2000 m of core drilling as part of the Company's 2016 exploration program at the Project. The Company now controls 41 mineral claims, placer claims and placer leases covering an aggregate of 22,804 hectares or approximately 228.04 sq. km of strategic ground in the historic Pine Creek and Spruce Creek areas in the Atlin district. Management views this ground as highly prospective for its potential to host commercially viable hard-rock gold deposits.

Historic drilling by previous operators, including Homestake Mineral Development Corp., Muskox Minerals Ltd. and Prize Mining Corp., has traced the known Yellowjacket gold mineralized zone for approximately 300-350 metres strike length along a fault-bounded structure. Within this zone, previous operators have reported numerous drill holes with elevated gold intersections from bedrock surface to a depth of approximately 140 metres. The Yellowjacket Zone remains open to depth and along strike. The primary objectives of this Phase 1 drill program are to confirm the presence of historic high-grade gold mineralization in the Yellowjacket Zone and to expand the zone along both depth and strike dimensions.

The current core drilling program will allow the Company to expand upon the existing geological knowledge base of the Project. The gold mineralization is structurally controlled by two or more moderate to steeply dipping, deep-seated fault zones. Identification of structural controls and alteration assemblages within the central core of the Yellowjacket Zone and comparisons to those at depth and along strike are integral to our understanding of the opportunities for expansion of the gold-bearing mineralized zone.

According to Irwin Olian, CEO of the Company, 'We are delighted to be at work drilling the Yellowjacket Gold Project. It has been some five years since the Project was last active and we are excited about being the new operator with prospects for making new discoveries on our large mineral tenure.'

Drill core samples are being shipped to Bureau Veritas Minerals (Acme Labs) in Whitehorse for sample preparation and then forwarded to Vancouver for analyses. Initial results of the program are expected to be available within approximately sixty days. Drilling is being undertaken by a highly experienced, Atlin-based drilling professional utilizing a 2016-built Zinex Mining deep hole drill rig mounted in a custom drill shack with rod handling capabilities. It is anticipated that HQ core will generally be utilized for the initial program, with the addition of NQ core where deemed advisable. Further targets will be developed and additional drilling will be undertaken on a result contingent basis.

Linda Dandy, P.Geo., a Qualified Person within the meaning of N.I. 43-101, is providing on site supervision and guidance and has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release. She previously oversaw exploration activities on the project for a predecessor operator.

About African Queen

The Company is an exploratory resource company engaged in exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and Africa. It is presently focusing on development of its Yellowjacket Gold Project in Atlin, British Columbia, which covers an aggregate of approximately 228.04 sq. km. 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

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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.