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Buriticá, 20 May 2024

Continental Gold Limited Colombia Branch, as owner of the Buriticá Mine, informs employees, the community and the competent authorities about new and serious attacks that have occurred in our facilities, while condemning these criminal acts of criminal mining that violate the legal rights of the Company and employees.

Since May 12, 2024 in the social networks of what is known as EMISORA EXTREMA BURITICA ANTIOQUIA, rumours have been spread about alleged miners trapped due to backfilling work carried out by the Company....

The information on the number of "trapped" has been inconsistent and as such the Company has not received any formal written reports from the authorities, complaints and/or formal requests for trapped persons or reports from family members....

That said, it is important to highlight several issues. First: without any prior verification, the requirement following this series of rumours is for the Company to stop normal backfilling operations. We reiterate that this technical process strictly complies with the requirements of ANLA Resolution No. 01443 of 2016, and is part of the mandatory routine actions under the law, under the supervision of the ANM and ANLA. In addition, on 12 February 2024, in the list of petitions of several community action boards addressed to the Mayor's Office of Buriticá, it was demanded that the Company carry out 100% of the backfilling, in accordance with said resolution. Therefore, the request to stop backfilling goes against the relevant laws and regulations, as well as the request of the communities.

Second, as external rumours of alleged trapped miners due to the backfilling of the Company progressed, on 12 May 2024, a group of illegal miners invaded the Company's tunnels on level 1155, attacking security personnel and stealing a guard's service weapon. On 19 May 2024, two employees of the Company's protection area were attacked by illegal miners while on duty at the Yaraguá mine and shot: one in the shoulder and the other in the right side of the abdomen. Both had to be rushed to a hospital in Medellín.

Third: to respond to the concern of the municipal authority, on 18 and 19 May, in the company of Unimil agents of the National Police, the Company made a perifoneo in different underground levels to offer humanitarian assistance to the people supposedly trapped, but no response was received. On 20 May 2024, also at the request of the National Mining Agency ANM, the Company accompanied the municipal authorities and the fire brigade to once again make another sound system in the place where the people were supposedly trapped, demonstrating that there are no calls for help.

In summary, despite the fact that the Company is always attentive to the situation and responds to the requests of the Mayor's Office for search work, no cases of trapped people have been reported.

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(Translated by the BHRRC)