Ivory Coast has celebrated the return of the Djidji Ayokwe, a sacred “talking drum” seized by French colonial forces more than a century ago, in a ceremony coinciding with the country’s Independence Day.
The massive wooden drum, which measures more than three metres long and weighs about 430 kilograms, was returned on Friday to Adjame, the village where it was originally made.
Used by the Ebrie people to transmit messages over long distances, the Djidji Ayokwe played an important role in community life, including warning residents of danger, calling people to ceremonies and mobilising fighters during periods of conflict.
French colonial authorities seized the drum in 1916. It was later transported to France in 1929 and displayed in Paris for decades.
Although France formally handed the artefact back to Ivory Coast in February and it arrived in the country by specially chartered aircraft in March, Friday’s ceremony marked the first time it was publicly displayed since its return.
The drum was carried through Abidjan’s Yopougon district during a military parade before being transported to Adjame in a glass-fronted case mounted on a decorated float.
Culture Minister Francoise Remarck joined traditional leaders and hundreds of residents for the ceremony, which also included a traditional libation ritual honouring ancestors.
Adjame Mayor Farikou Soumahoro described the return as an important moment for the preservation of Ivorian history and cultural identity.
“A nation cannot develop if it doesn’t preserve its memory and promote its heritage,” he said, describing the occasion as one of “deep emotion and great pride”.
Residents also expressed excitement at finally seeing the drum back on Ivorian soil.
“We want to see the drum with our own eyes so we can truly believe it belongs to us,” 69-year-old Jacqueline Akrebie said.
Traditional leader Cyriaque Ahoure described the ceremony as a moment of “great joy” and remembrance for the community’s ancestors.
Ivory Coast first formally requested the return of the Djidji Ayokwe in 2018 as part of a demand covering 148 cultural objects removed during the colonial period.
The drum is among hundreds of African artefacts that France has pledged to return as European museums and governments face growing pressure to repatriate cultural objects acquired during colonial rule.
France approved new legislation in May aimed at simplifying the return of certain cultural property to former colonies.
The Djidji Ayokwe is expected to be displayed at the Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan, which has undergone renovations ahead of its exhibition.
Other African countries, including Senegal and Benin, have also sought the return of cultural treasures held in European collections, as demands for the restitution of colonial-era artefacts continue to grow across the continent.