Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson Signs Memorandum With Burundi Government, Agreement Questioned

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson recently confirmed he had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Burundi. This MOU agreement is Hoskinson’s first major preliminary agreement he has secured since kickstarting Cardano’s African tour in mid-October, 2021.

Meetings With Burundi and Zanzibar Leaders

Before traveling to Burundi, Hokisnson had visited Zanzibar where he held meetings with Hussein Ali Mwinyi, the island nation’s president. However, it is Hoskinson’s Burundi visit that has helped Cardano to achieve its latest major agreement with an African state after it signed another deal with the Ethiopian government back in April 2021.

To break the news about his interactions with the Burundi government as well as Cardano’s latest achievement, Hoskinson went on Twitter and shared some key moments of his Burundi tour. In his last tweet, he said: “Yes, we signed a great MOU today.”

In an earlier tweet, Hoskinson — who has since changed his Twitter profile picture to one that features himself and the Burundi President, Évariste Ndayishimiye — talks about his meeting with the Burundi leader. He said:

Great meeting with his excellency President Évariste Ndayishimiye about the future of Burundi’s digital transformation.

Agreement with Burundi Government Questioned

While many supporters of Cardano have applauded Hoskinson for his efforts, some opponents of the president of Burundi have, however, expressed reservations about the agreement. For instance, one Reddit user named Diatery questioned Cardano’s decision to hand over the blockchain to what he termed the wrong people. The user asked:

We know that Cardano wants to help reform Africa, so I looked deeper into what who Hoskinson is talking to. It didn’t take long to see that he’s handing tech to the wrong people. What kind of government is actually in power in Burundi, and who are these people that he’s creating a partnership with exactly?

To substantiate these reservations about President Évariste Ndayishimiye’s government, the user shares several supporting links including a U.S. government report on Burundi. However, other Reddit users argued that Hoskinson has no other option except to work with government officials. The user wrote:

“You can’t create public infrastructure without cooperation with public officials. If they are human rights violators, they are trash, but if the crypto game plays out as we all wish for, those autocrats sealing their own demise by catalysing adoption.”

What do you think of Cardano’s MOU agreement with Burundi? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.