15 June 2026

Rome Resources plc
("Rome Resources" or the "Company")

Kalayi: Mining licence conversion programme commenced

Mining programme is anticipated to provide key data and generate modest revenues; and

Conversion expected to facilitate proposed increase in ownership in Kalayi to ~79%

Rome Resources plc (AIM: RMR), the DRC and Canada-focused critical minerals explorer, is pleased announce the commencement of a small-scale tin mining programme at its Kalayi project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the "Kalayi Project").

The small-scale tin mining programme fulfils a key regulatory requirement of the Company's small-scale exploitation permit 13274 ("PEPM 13274") and is designed to support the conversion of PEPM 13274 into a full mining licence (Exploitation Licence under DRC mining law). It is anticipated that achieving this milestone will assist in facilitating the Company's proposal to increase its ownership interest in PEPM 13274, as announced on 17 April 2026. This is expected to strengthen the Kalayi Project's attractiveness to potential strategic and development partners.

Highlights

·    A small-scale near-surface mining programme has commenced at the Kalayi Project, seeking to fulfil a key regulatory requirement required to support the conversion of PEPM 13274 into a full mining licence;  

·    Successful conversion is expected to facilitate the proposed acquisition of the remaining 27.5% interest in Kalayi Tin SARL, increasing Rome Resource's ownership in the Kalayi Project to approximately 79%;

·    Early indications are encouraging: the site team has reported portable XRF readings of up to 17% tin within the exposed mineralised zone;

·    The mining programme is expected to generate valuable geological, metallurgical and processing data, supporting the further Mineral Resource Estimates and is expected to improve the Company's understanding of the Kalayi Project's vein system;

·    Mining operations are anticipated to generate modest revenues through the sale of tin concentrate via the State facility at Walikale, with limited capital expenditure required; and

·    The Company continues to attract interest from potential strategic and development partners; advancement of the mining licence and increased ownership are expected to further strengthen Rome Resource's position in these discussions.

Kalayi small-scale mining programme

Regulatory context and licence advancement

As part of the requirements associated with the Company's small scale exploitation permit ("PEPM"), Rome Resources has commenced a small-scale tin mining project targeting shallow mineralisation in the vicinity of earlier trenching by Rome Resources in the northern part of the Kalayi deposit. 

The primary objective of the programme is to support the conversion of the current PEPM into a full mining licence. Based on ongoing discussions to date, conversion is expected to be required in order to facilitate the proposed acquisition of a further 27.5% interest in Kalayi Tin SARL; upon conversion, the requirement for a local partner would fall away, facilitating completion of the proposed acquisition (as outlined in the Company's announcement on 17 April 2026) and increasing Rome Resource's ownership of the Kalayi Project to approximately 79%.

The decision to pursue full ownership in Kalayi Tin SARL, and therefore PEPM 13274, reflects the Board's confidence in Kalayi's resource potential, underpinned by the results of the Company's exploration programmes to date and the ongoing Mineral Resource Estimate update. The Board believes that a substantially increased ownership position, combined with advancement towards a full mining licence, will materially strengthen Kalayi's attractiveness to potential strategic and development partners.

Geology and Operations

The Kalayi deposit is hosted within steeply dipping cassiterite-bearing quartz veins with strong surface expression. The small-scale mining programme targets the shallow tin-bearing material in the vicinity of previous trenching in the northern part of the deposit, with operations involving driving a short mining adit into the mineralised zone along strike.

Early indications are positive, with the site team reporting portable XRF readings of up to 17% tin within in the shaft walls of the exposed mineralised zone, consistent with results from earlier surface trenching and supportive of the near-surface continuity of mineralisation.

A small washing plant is expected to be installed. The resulting product, anticipated to be a 60-80% tin concentrate, will be sold through the State facility at Walikale. Operations are anticipated to generate modest revenues; income generated is incidental to the programme's primary regulatory and geological objectives.

Data Generation and Resource Development

In addition to its regulatory purpose, the programme is expected to provide valuable material for further metallurgical testing and improve the Company's understanding of the detailed configuration and continuity of the tin-bearing vein system, information that cannot be fully obtained from drill core alone.   The Board notes that the limited scale of the operation is not expected to have any material impact on the resource potential of the Kalayi deposit.

Health, Safety and Environment

Health, safety and environmental performance remain a key priority for management. Site supervisors will follow a regime of regular reporting to ensure safe operating practices are maintained throughout the programme.

Proposed increase in ownership interest in existing DRC projects

On 17 April 2026, the Company announced that it entered into non-binding heads of terms to further increase its ownership interests in exploration permit PR 15130 ("PR 15130") small-scale exploitation permit 13274 through a series of proposed acquisitions (the "Proposed Acquisitions").

While discussions in relation to the Proposed Acquisitions continue, the Proposed Acquisitions are subject to, among other things, the execution of legally binding agreements governing the Proposed Acquisitions. There can therefore be no certainty that final binding terms will be agreed in order to complete the Proposed Acquisitions, nor as to the timing or final terms of the Proposed Acquisitions. Further updates will be provided in due course.

Paul Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of Rome Resources, commented:

"The early XRF readings from the entrance to the adit are encouraging and consistent with what we have seen from surface trenching in this part of the deposit.

We are pursuing increased ownership, inter alia, of the Kalayi Project because we believe in this asset. The exploration work completed to date, and what we are now seeing in the mineralised zone, gives us that conviction. Converting the current permit into a full mining licence is central to that process - it unlocks the proposed acquisition of the remaining interest and takes Rome Resource's ownership to approximately 79% in the Kalayi Project, a materially stronger platform from which to advance the Kalayi Project and engage with potential partners.

We anticipate receipt of the outstanding assays from the recent drilling programme very shortly and we look forward to updating the market on both these results and the updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Kalayi as soon as possible thereafter."

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Qualified Person Statement

Dr. Paul Armitage is a consultant of Rome Resources plc, a qualified geologist, a Fellow of the London Geological Society and a Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. Dr. Armitage is a qualified person (QP) under NI 43-101 and as defined by the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies for the purposes of this announcement and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.