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 meters long and weighs 430 kilograms.

The ceremony coincided with Ivory Coast's national independence day holiday and marked the first time contemporary Ivorians could see the drum. It was carried in a military parade through the Yopougon district of Abidjan before being taken to its home village of Adjame, where it was originally made.

The drum had been 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. The return of the Djidji Ayokwe is part of hundreds of stolen artifacts that France is preparing to send back to Africa, following a new French law approved in May 2026.

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 joy, saying he had come to share a moment of "great joy, when we remembering our ancestors."

The drum had arrived in Ivory Coast earlier in March aboard a specially chartered plane but remained in its crate until the public ceremony.

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