RNS Number:5165O
Randgold Resources Ld
08 August 2003

Randgold Resources Limited
Incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands
Registration Number 62868
LSE Trading Symbol: RRS
Nasdaq Trading Symbol: GOLD





London, 8 August 2003



RANDGOLD RESOURCES CONFIRMS MERGER PROPOSAL



The Board of Randgold Resources Limited ("Randgold") (LSE: RRS) (NASDAQ: GOLD),
notes the recent press comment and confirms that it has submitted an indicative
merger proposal to the Board of Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited ("Ashanti").
This indicative proposal envisages the acquisition of the issued share capital
of Ashanti through a scheme of arrangement at a proposed ratio of one Randgold
ordinary share or American Depository Receipt for every two Ashanti ordinary
shares.  It also proposes to retain the Ashanti name and is conditional on,
amongst other things, further due diligence.



These discussions are at an early stage and may or may not lead to a formal
proposal being made or an agreement being reached.



A further announcement will be made in due course, as appropriate.





Enquiries:



RANDGOLD
Chief Executive
Dr Mark Bristow
+44 779 775 2288
+27 (0) 82 800 4293



Financial Director
Roger Williams
+44 779 771 9660



Investor & Media Relations
Kathy du Plessis
+27 11 728 4701
Cell: +27 (0) 83 266 5847
randgoldresources@dpapr.com



HSBC BANK PLC
Adrian Coates/
Tim Morgan-Wynne/
Jan Sanders
+44 20 7991 8888



HSBC Bank plc, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial
Services Authority, is acting for Randgold, and no-one else in connection with
the matters referred to in this document and will not be responsible to any
person other than Randgold for providing the protections afforded to customers
of HSBC Bank plc, or for advising any such person on the contents of this
announcement or any transaction referred to in this announcement.





*********

Issued on behalf of Randgold Resources Limited by du Plessis Associates.

dPA contact Kathy du Plessis on Tel: 27(11) 728 4701,

mobile: 27(0)83 266 5847 or e-mail randgoldresources@dpapr.com

website: www.randgoldresources.com

*********





DISCLAIMER: Statements made in this release with respect to Randgold's current
plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not
historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of
Randgold.  These statements are based on management's assumptions and beliefs in
light of the information currently available to it.  Randgold cautions you that
a number of important risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to
differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and
therefore you should not place undue reliance on them.  The potential risks and
uncertainties include, among others, risks associated with:  fluctuations in the
market price of gold, gold production at Morila, estimates of reserves and mine
life and liabilities arising from the closure of Syama.  For a discussion of
important factors and risks involved in Randgold's business, refer to Randgold's
Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2002, which was filed
with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on 27 June 2003.



Randgold does not undertake any obligation to update any forward looking
statements discussed in this announcement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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