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Mano River Resources Inc ("Mano" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:MNO)(AIM:MANA)
the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") and AIM listed exploration and development
company focused on iron ore, gold and diamonds in West Africa is pleased to
announce that the Company has entered into a legally binding Letter of Intent
("LOI") to conclude a broader agreement to merge with TSX-V listed African Aura
Resources Ltd. ("Africa Aura")(TSX VENTURE:AAZ) pursuant to which Mano will
offer 1.57 Mano shares for every one African Aura share in order to acquire the
entire issued share capital of African Aura. The obligation of Mano and African
Aura to enter into the broader agreement is subject to certain conditions being
met, including the approval of the TSX-V and satisfactory completion of due
diligence. The merger will significantly strengthen Mano's position in West
Africa, creating a well capitalised iron ore and gold exploration and
development company.


Highlights of the Agreement:

- All share transaction whereby African Aura shareholders will receive 1.57 Mano
shares for each African Aura share, representing a premium of 18.7% to African
Aura's 60 day volume weighted average share price at market close on 14 April
2009, based on Mano's 14 April 2009 closing AIM price and an exchange rate of
C$1.80 to Pounds Sterling 1.


- Merged entity to be renamed African Aura Mining Inc. which, at completion,
will be owned 75% by Mano shareholders and 25% by African Aura shareholders.


- Proposed board of directors:

-- Luis da Silva - President and CEO

-- David Netherway - Non-Executive Chairman

-- David Evans, Guy Pas and Steven Poulton - Non-Executive Directors

-- Kirill Zimin, who was previously nominated by Severstal Resources to be its
representative on Mano's Board after their investment in the Putu Range project,
is expected to be appointed as a Non-Executive Director in the coming weeks and
will remain post-merger in light of Severstal's strategic investment.


- A proposed 1 for 6 Mano share consolidation, as previously approved my Mano's
shareholders, expected to take place concurrently with the completion of the
proposed merger.


Strategic Rationale for the Merger:

- Strong operational synergies with highly prospective iron ore and gold assets
in West Africa which will considerably enhance Mano's presence in the region
with the addition of the following projects wholly-owned by African Aura:


-- 12km long Nkout iron deposit in southern Cameroon. Reconnaissance sampling
along a 5km section returned an average grade of 54% iron.


-- Batouri gold project in western Cameroon. Intersections to date include
132g/t Au over 1.0m and 49g/t over 1.5m.


- Significantly strengthens Mano's financial position with the addition of
C$5.9m to treasury (as at 30 March 2009).


- Geographic diversification and risk reduction by stepping out of Mano's
traditional operating countries.


- The proposed Board of Directors of the combined company will be strengthened
by drawing on the skills and expertise of the African Aura management team.


In a joint statement Luis da Silva, President & CEO of Mano and John Gray,
President & CEO of African Aura commented:


"We believe that the merger of Mano and African Aura to create African Aura
Mining Inc. is a market leading transaction of two companies with similar strong
cash positions and highly prospective assets. The transaction is consistent with
our respective corporate strategies and will provide both companies with the
opportunity for transformational growth. The merged company will on completion
of the transaction have an approximate cash position of C$11m / Pounds Sterling
6.0m and a well diversified portfolio of advanced iron and gold assets in
Liberia and Cameroon. We believe these two commodities create a compelling
natural hedge for our shareholders in the current uncertain global economic
climate. Furthermore, the combination will forge a strong Board of Directors and
management team comprising individuals with notable track records in the
discovery and development of significant resources, including Guy Pas who
co-founded Addax & Oryx, Afren and SAMAX which was acquired in 1998 by Anglogold
Ashanti and David Netherway who spearheaded Afcan until it was acquired by
Eldorado Gold in 2005."


Dave Evans, Chairman of Mano River, added:

"In unanimously agreeing to merge, the Boards of Mano and African Aura are
seeking to create shareholder value by capitalizing on the numerous corporate
and exploration synergies that exist between our two companies and which will
serve to reduce exploration risks by bringing together our complementary assets
and technical expertise. We are confident that the resulting company with its
larger capitalization will generate enhanced news flow and be more attractive to
a greater number of potential shareholders. This in turn will serve to greatly
improve the liquidity in the merged company's shares. We plan to create
shareholder value by developing our existing assets, continuing to grow the
resource base through cost efficient exploration, undertaking appropriate cost
and risk sharing joint ventures with major partners and by pursuing further
mergers and acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa."


For further information on Mano River Resources and its exploration programme,
you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.manoriver.com.


Summary of the Transaction

The LOI provides the key elements by which Mano and African Aura will enter a
broader transaction agreement to combine the two companies ("Transaction
Agreement"). The transaction is currently expected to be structured as a merger
under the corporate laws of the British Virgin Islands (the "BVI") whereby,
subject to the approval of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders of
African Aura at a shareholders meeting, a wholly-owned BVI subsidiary of Mano
will merge with African Aura and Mano will thereby acquire all of the issued and
outstanding common shares of African Aura. The consideration will be the
issuance to shareholders of African Aura of 1.57 Mano shares for each African
Aura share they hold (the "Exchange Ratio"). This represents a value of
approximately C$0.099 per African Aura share, based on the closing price of Mano
on the AIM market on 14 April 2009 at an exchange rate of C$1.80 to Pounds
Sterling 1, representing an 18.7% premium to the 60-day volume weighted average
African Aura share price.


Mano will issue 105,264,638 new shares in exchange for the 67,047,540 issued
outstanding common shares of African Aura on an undiluted basis. Former African
Aura and former Mano shareholders will account for 25% and 75%, respectively, of
the common shares of African Aura Mining Inc. on an undiluted basis.


As well, all outstanding African Aura warrants and African Aura options will be
converted into Mano warrants and Mano options, based upon the Exchange Ratio pro
rata to the amounts held. At completion of the transaction, Mano intends to
change its name to African Aura Mining Inc. Mano also intends to undertake a
share consolidation at, or prior to, completion of the transaction - the
Exchange Ratio will be adjusted accordingly if the consolidation takes place
prior to completion. Subject to regulatory approval, African Aura Mining Inc.
will trade on the TSX-V and AIM.


The proposed new Board of Directors will comprise six directors, Mano will
nominate four directors, of which three will be existing directors of Mano
(namely, Luis da Silva who will serve as President and CEO, Guy Pas and David
Evans, who will both be non-executive directors) and African Aura will nominate
two directors (namely David Netherway who will be appointed as non-executive
Chairman and Steven Poulton who will serve as a non-executive director). In
accordance with Severstal Resources' strategic investment in Mano and their
investment in the Putu Range iron ore project, Kirill Zimin is expected to be
appointed to Mano's Board of directors in the coming weeks. He will subsequently
remain on the Board of Directors of the merged company making him the fourth
Mano director.


As a condition to Mano entering into the Transaction Agreement, the directors
and officers of African Aura, holding, in total, 11.69% of the issued share
capital of African Aura, will enter into an agreement to vote in favour of the
transaction.


African Aura will convene a meeting of its shareholders for the purpose of
approving the transaction by no later than 30 June 2009. In the interim it will
prepare and mail a circular and all other required documents to African Aura
shareholders on or before 8 June 2009. The transaction is expected to complete
on or around 15 July 2009.


The obligation of Mano and African Aura to enter into the Transaction Agreement
is subject to certain conditions precedent, including:


- Each party being satisfied, acting reasonably, of the results of its legal,
financial and technical due diligence review of the other party;


- Obtaining any necessary consents of the TSX-V to the transaction, on terms
satisfactory to Mano;


- Each party having determined that there does not exist and has not occurred
any material adverse condition, event or development related to the other party.


Pursuant to the LOI, African Aura has agreed not to solicit an alternative
transaction prior to the earlier of the date of execution of the definitive
Transaction Agreement or May 15, 2009. A compensation fee of C$250,000 will be
payable to Mano by African Aura in the event that, among other events, African
Aura enters into an agreement with a third party concerning an alternative
transaction prior to such date. Furthermore, in the event that the Transaction
Agreement has not be entered into on or before May 15, 2009 and either African
Aura or Mano terminates the LOI, African Aura will be required to reimburse Mano
for all documented expenses, costs and fees incurred by it in connection with
the transaction, up to C$125,000. In addition, where Mano fails to provide
information reasonably required by African Aura to complete its shareholders
circular a reimbursement fee of C$75,000 is payable by Mano to African Aura.
Completion of the transaction will be subject to customary conditions, including
a favourable vote of at least 50% of the holders of African Aura common shares
voted at a special meeting of shareholders and the receipt of all necessary
regulatory approvals.


Additions to the Mano Portfolio Post Transaction

Iron Project

- A 100% interest in the 12km long Nkout iron project in southern Cameroon being
advanced by African Aura. The project is defined by airborne geophysical data
and geological mapping, with drill testing scheduled to commence in May 2009.
Reconnaissance sampling undertaken by African Aura along a 5km section of the
prospect returned an average grade of 54% iron and a maximum of 65% iron from
hematitic banded iron and itabarite formations.


Gold Project

- A 100% interest in the Batouri gold project in western Cameroon being advanced
by African Aura. Sixty six holes of an initial resource drilling programme have
been completed to date which defines a significant gold stockwork system
covering an area up to 500m wide along 3 km of strike. Intersections to date
include 132g/t Au over 1.0m and 49g/t Au over 1.5m.


Uranium Projects

- A 70% interest in Ridgeway Energy Ltd which holds a total of 3,480km2 across
four exploration licences in Cameroon. Mapping by the BRGM and reconnaissance
exploration by African Aura have indicated the potential for new uranium
discoveries.


About African Aura

African Aura (TSX VENTURE:AAZ) has a 'first-mover' exploration strategy, focused
on the discovery of economic iron, gold, and uranium deposits in sub-Saharan
Africa. The Company commenced exploration in 2004 and has established a
portfolio of exploration licences totalling approximately 9,480km2, targeting
areas of active artisanal gold mining within Archaean greenstone and Proterozoic
volcano-sedimentary belts. The portfolio includes the 12km long Nkout iron
project in southern Cameroon, the Batouri gold project in eastern Cameroon, the
Fula Camp gold project in western Liberia, and a pipeline of significant
prospects for drill testing as well as numerous other gold, uranium and iron ore
targets that require follow up exploration. African Aura trades on the TSX-V
under the symbol AAZ. More information can be found on line at
www.african-aura.com and at SEDAR's website: www.sedar.com.


African Aura Technical Information

African Aura's Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 responsible for
reviewing and approving the African Aura technical information in this release
is its Chief Operating Officer, Mark Biddulph, who holds a BSc Hons in Geology,
and GIS from Rhodes University, and a GDE in Mining Engineering (Mineral
Economics) from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. Mark is a
Professional Natural Scientist under the South African Council for Natural
Scientific Professions (SACNASP). The potential grades in this release are
conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a
mineral resources and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the
targets being delineated as a mineral resource.


Forward-looking Statements

This press release includes certain Forward-Looking Statements. All statements,
other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including without
limitation, statements regarding potential mineralisation and reserves,
exploration results and future plans and objectives of Mano and/or African Aura,
are forward-looking statements that involve various known and unknown risks and
uncertainties as well as other factors. Such forward-looking statements include
statements concerning the completion of the transaction (including the entering
into of the Transaction Agreement), the cash position and market capitalization
of the merged company, the merged company's ability to complete future mergers
and acquisitions, improvements to the liquidity in trading of the merged
company's shares, the merged company's objectives and plans and the intention of
Mano to change its name and consolidate its shares. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause
actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations,
including the failure of Mano and African Aura to negotiate definitive
agreements and delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required regulatory and
shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove
to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from
those anticipated in such statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date hereof and, except as may be required by applicable law, Mano
disclaims any obligation to update or modify such forward-looking statements,
either as a result of new information, future events or for any other reason.

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