The Djidji Ayokwe, a sacred "talking drum" looted by French colonial forces in 1916, was returned to its home village in Ivory Coast on Friday, August 8, 2026. The drum, over three meters long and weighing 430 kilograms, was historically used by the Ebrie tribe to transmit messages.

The return ceremony coincided with Ivory Coast's national independence day and was the first opportunity for modern Ivorians to see the drum. It was carried in a military parade through the Yopougon district of Abidjan before being taken to Adjame, the village where it was originally made.

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. The drum had been seized by French colonial authorities in 1916, shipped to Europe in 1929, and exhibited in Paris for decades. Its return is part of a larger initiative by France, supported by a new law passed in May 2026, to repatriate hundreds of stolen artifacts to African countries.

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 feelings about the event: he came to share a moment of "great joy, when we remembering our ancestors."

The drum had arrived in Ivory Coast earlier in March 2026 aboard a specially chartered plane but remained in its crate until the independence day celebration. The return of the Djidji Ayokwe symbolizes a significant step in restoring cultural identity and heritage to the Ivorians.

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