Gold Exploration in West Africa

[FL]

Etruscan's Youga Gold Mine production exceeds 21,000 ounces in Q4

HALIFAX, Dec. 4 /CNW/ - Etruscan Resources Inc. (EET.TSX) reported today that its Youga Gold Mine located in Burkina Faso, West Africa poured 7,136 ounces of gold for the month of November finishing its 4th quarter with 21,165 ounces poured. The average forecast monthly gold production over life of mine
is 6,700 ounces per month. The operation has been steadily improving and has now reached design throughput with the last two months of production exceeding 7,000 ounces per month.

The Youga Gold Mine has poured in excess of 39,200 ounces during the period March 1 - November 30, 2008 and commenced commercial production in July 2008. The production statistics to the end of November are as follows:

<<
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd 3rd 4th
Quarter Quarter Quarter
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(March- (June- September October November(*) Total(*)
May) August)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonnes
Milled 164,500 183,851 74,054 82,120 82,484 238,658
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head
Grade
(g/t) 1.59 2.43 3.51 3.17 2.98 3.21
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gold
Poured
(oz) 6,229 11,823 6,572 7,457 7,136 21,165
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*)Note: Production numbers are preliminary and are subject to final
adjustment
>>

During the 4th Quarter Etruscan sold 18,970 ounces of gold realizing gross revenues of US$ 13.9 million. The costs for the quarter are yet to be finalized, but there is a clear trend of declining unit costs as gold output
increases.

The Youga Gold Mine currently comprises open pit mining from five pits with the ore being processed though a conventional CIL/gravity plant having a design capacity of one million tonnes per annum. Mineable reserves are 6.6 million tonnes with an average grade of 2.7 grams per tonne containing 580,000
ounces of gold. The project benefits from a year-round water supply from a nearby major river system (the White Volta) and access to grid power supplied via the northern grid of the Volta River Authority in Ghana is forecast for the first quarter 2009. The current diesel powered generator system will then
act as a back-up power plant to ensure constant power to the site. The Youga facility has been designed for maximum operating availability and in particular, the mill drive system was supplied new with a second new drive train (motor and gearbox) being stocked as a spare.


Robert Harris, P.Eng., Vice President of Operations of Etruscan, is the Qualified Person overseeing production and development in West Africa and South Africa and has reviewed and approved this press release.

About Etruscan Resources Inc.

Etruscan Resources Inc. is a gold focused Canadian junior mining company
with dominant land positions in district scale gold belts covering more than
13,000 square kilometers in West Africa. Its principal mine development
projects include the Youga Gold Project in Burkina Faso (latest press release
dated December 1, 2008), the Agbaou Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire (latest
press release dated February 21, 2008), and the Finkolo Gold Project in Mali
(latest press release dated July 2, 2008). Advanced and early stage
exploration projects are on-going in Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana
(see press release dated June 10, 2008) and Namibia (see press release dated
October 24, 2008). See press release dated May 6, 2008 for a comprehensive
update of explorations projects. Etruscan also has a 52.1% interest in
Etruscan Diamonds Limited which has a dominant land position in the
Ventersdorp Diamond District located in South Africa (latest press release
dated September 11, 2008). The common shares of Etruscan are traded on The TSX
Exchange under the symbol "EET". More extensive information on Etruscan can be
found on its home page at http://www.etruscan.com

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements which
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may
cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements may include statements regarding exploration results and budgets,
mineral reserve and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures,
mine operating costs, production targets and timetables, future commercial
production, strategic plans, market price of precious metals or other
statements that are not statements of fact. Although the Company believes the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it
can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct.
Various factors that may affect future results include, but are not limited
to: fluctuations in market prices of precious metals; foreign currency
exchange fluctuations; risks relating to mining exploration and development
including reserve estimation and costs and timing of commercial production;
requirements for additional financing; political and regulatory risks, and
other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual information
form filed with the Canadian Securities regulators on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.

NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENT OF THIS
RELEASE



For further information: Etruscan: Richard Gordon, Investor Relations,
[phone], Fax [phone], [e-mail]