Desert Sun Mining Appoints Mike Hoffman, Vice President, Strategic Development.

TORONTO -- DESERT SUN MINING CORP. (TSX:DSM)(AMEX:DEZ) is pleased to announce that Mike Hoffman, P.Eng., has joined the company as Vice President, Strategic Development, and will assume his new role in mid-September 2005. Mr. Hoffman's primary responsibilities will be to facilitate the planned expansion of gold production at Desert Sun's Jacobina Mine in Brazil and to build a strategic development program for the company. Mr. Hoffman will be based in Toronto at DSM's head office.

Mr. Hoffman is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario with 25 years' experience in the mining industry. Following his graduation from Queens University with an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Engineering, Mr. Hoffman worked for several major mining companies and mining consultants in North America, Central America, South America and Africa. Some of these include Rio Algom, MRDI, the BLM Service Group and Royal Oak Mines Inc. In his most recent position, Mr. Hoffman was Vice President, Projects for Goldcorp Inc, where he was responsible for expansion planning for Goldcorp's flagship Red Lake Mine in northern Ontario. Mr. Hoffman has been very active in several professional mining associations and technical organizations.

"It is a pleasure to welcome Mike to the Desert Sun Mining team," commented Bruce Humphrey, President and CEO. "His extensive feasibility and implementation experience will be extremely valuable to Desert Sun as we embark on our aggressive production expansion program."

On July 1, 2005, Desert Sun declared commercial production at the Jacobina Mine with a rated capacity of 100,000 ounces of gold per year. Development has begun on the second mine, Morro do Vento, which is scheduled to add 50,000 ounces per year of production by the end of 2006. Two other properties currently being explored, Morro do Vento Extension and Canavieiras, have the potential to bring total gold production from the Jacobina plant area mines to 250,000 ounces per year by 2009.

Desert Sun Mining is a Canadian gold mining company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange with 100% ownership of the Jacobina Mine and the 155 km long Bahia Gold Belt in the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. Proven and Probable mineral reserves in the Jacobina Mine area are 17,620,000 tonnes at 2.11g Au/t containing 1,200,000 ounces of gold. As a result of the Desert Sun's exploration programs to date, Measured and Indicated resources total 24,800,000 tonnes at 2.53g Au/t containing 2,050,000 ounces of gold, and Inferred Resources total 22,200,000 tonnes at 2.61g Au/t containing 1,900,000 ounces of gold. The mineral reserves are included within the Measured and Indicated mineral resources. For additional information, contact Naomi Nemeth, Vice President Investor Relations at 416-861-5901 ([e-mail]) or visit Desert Sun's website at www.desertsunmining.com.

Statements in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual developments or results may vary materially from those in these "forward-looking statements". This news release also uses the terms "measured resources", 'indicated resources' and 'inferred resources'. Desert Sun Mining Corp. advises investors that although these terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations (under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. In addition, 'inferred resources' have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, or economic studies except for Preliminary Assessment as defined under 43-101. Investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

Desert Sun Mining Corp. (TSX:DSM) (AMEX:DEZ)