On Friday, August 8th, 2026, Ivory Coast celebrated the return of the Djidji Ayokwe, a sacred "talking drum" looted by French colonial troops in 1916. The drum arrived back in its home village in Ivory Coast during a ceremony held on the country's national independence day holiday, marking the first time contemporary Ivorians were able to see it.

The imposing wooden drum, measuring 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, among 148 works of art taken during the colonial period. The drum's return is part of a broader initiative by France to repatriate hundreds of stolen artifacts to Africa, supported by a new French law approved in May 2026.

After arriving in Ivory Coast in March aboard a specially chartered plane, the drum was kept in its large wooden crate until the independence day parade. On August 8th, it was carried in a military parade through the Yopougon district of Abidjan before continuing to the village of Adjame, where it was originally made.

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 return of the Djidji Ayokwe symbolizes a significant step in restoring Ivory Coast's cultural memory and heritage.

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