Talking Drum returns to Ivory Coast 110 years after being seized by France

Nii Ayitey Brown 14:19 - 13 March 2026

Djidji Ayôkwé has been returned to Côte d’Ivoire after more than a century in France. The sacred drum, looted by French colonial forces in 1916, was welcomed home in Abidjan as part of growing efforts to repatriate African cultural artefacts.

A sacred talking drum, looted by French colonial forces more than a century ago, has finally been returned to Côte d’Ivoire, marking a major milestone in efforts to restore African cultural heritage.

The Talking drum known as ‘Djidji Ayôkwé’, arrived in Abidjan on 13 March 2026 after being formally handed back by French authorities earlier in the month, in one of the most significant restitutions of colonial‑era artefacts in recent years.

Symbol of culture and communication

The drum, carved from iroko wood, standing more than 3.5 metres (about 10 ft) tall and weighing around 430 kg, was an essential part of life for the Ebrié people, an Akan‑speaking community around present‑day Abidjan.

Traditionally, its beats served as a communication tool to send messages across villages, sound warnings and bring people together for ceremonies and community events. French colonial troops seized the drum from the Ebrié community in 1916 during a punitive expedition aimed at suppressing local resistance.

It was eventually taken to France and exhibited at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris.

Côte d’Ivoire first requested the return of the drum in 2018, as part of a broader list of 148 cultural objects taken during the colonial period. The issue gained momentum after a 2021 promise by French President Emmanuel Macron to return artefacts to their countries of origin, and subsequent French parliamentary action to authorise restitution.

Culture ministers from both countries presided over a handover ceremony in Paris on 20 February 2026, officially transferring custody of the drum.

Homecoming in Abidjan

According to AFP journalists, the artefact was flown back and arrived at Abidjan’s international airport inside a large wooden crate. There, Ivory Coast’s Culture Minister Françoise Remarck and community leaders welcomed it amid traditional singing and drumming.

“This is a moment of justice and remembrance,” Remarck said, calling the return an emotional and historic event for the nation

.Ebrié community chief Aboussou Guy Georges Mobio added that the drum’s return was “a relief” and a restoration of a vital symbol of cultural identity.

The talking drum is expected to be exhibited at the Musée des Civilisations de Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan, which has been renovated in preparation for its arrival. UNESCO has also pledged support for research and training connected to the artefact’s display.

The return of the Djidji Ayôkwé is part of a broader shift in how former colonial powers address the legacy of artefact removal.

France has already returned other items, including royal treasures to Benin and a historic sabre to Senegal, and is considering further repatriations under a new legal framework aimed at facilitating the process.

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