The Djidji Ayokwe, a sacred "talking drum" looted by French colonial troops in 1916, was returned to its home village in Ivory Coast on Friday, August 8th, 2026. The return was celebrated with a military parade through the Yopougon district of Abidjan on the country's national independence day holiday, before the drum continued to Adjame, the village where it was originally made.

The imposing wooden drum, over three meters (10 feet) long and weighing 430 kilograms, was historically used by the Ebrie tribe to transmit messages. It was seized by French colonial authorities in 1916, shipped to Europe in 1929, and exhibited in Paris for decades.

Ivory Coast had formally requested the return of the Djidji Ayokwe in late 2018 as part of a broader effort to reclaim 148 works of art taken during the colonial period. This return is part of a larger movement supported by a new French law passed in May 2026, which facilitates the repatriation of hundreds of stolen artifacts to Africa.

Adjame mayor Farikou Soumahoro emphasized the importance of cultural heritage, stating, "A nation cannot develop if it doesn't preserve its memory and promote its heritage." Traditional leader Cyriaque Ahoure, 63, expressed his emotions, saying he had come to share a moment of "great joy, when we remembering our ancestors."

The ceremony marked the first time many Ivorians were able to see the drum since its removal over a century ago.

Sources