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, used by the Ebrie tribe to transmit messages, is more than three metres (10 feet) long and weighs 430 kilograms.

The ceremony coincided with Ivory Coast's national independence day holiday and marked the first time contemporary Ivorians were able to see the drum. After arriving back in Ivory Coast in March aboard a specially chartered plane, the drum had remained in its large wooden crate until the celebration.

The drum 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in a military parade through the Yopougon district of Abidjan before continuing to the village of Adjame, where it was originally made.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 cultural significance, stating, "A nation cannot develop if it doesn't preserve its memory and promote its heritage."

Traditional leader Cyriaque Ahoure, 63, expressed the communal sentiment, saying he had come to share a moment of "great joy, when we remembering our ancestors."

The Djidji Ayokwe was seized by French colonial authorities in 1916, shipped to Europe in 1929, and exhibited in Paris for decades. Ivory Coast had formally requested its return in late 2018 as part of a broader effort to reclaim 148 works of art taken during the colonial period. This return is among hundreds of stolen artifacts that France is preparing to send back to Africa, facilitated by a new French law approved in May 2026.

The return of the Djidji Ayokwe symbolizes a step toward restoring cultural heritage and historical memory for Ivory Coast and its people.

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