France Hands Back Centuries-Old Sacred 'Talking' Drum to Ivory Coast
The artifact — known as the Djidji Ayokwe — holds deep ceremonial and communal significance for the Ebrie people, having historically served as an instrument of warning, a call to arms, and a summons for village gatherings. French colonial forces seized the drum in 1916 as part of efforts to crush resistance among the Atchan people. It was shipped to France in 1929, initially housed at the Musée de l'Homme, before being transferred in 2006 to the Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris, where it remained for nearly two decades.
The formal handover ceremony took place at the museum, attended by Ivory Coast's culture minister, Françoise Remarck, and her French counterpart, Rachida Dati. UNESCO confirmed it had actively supported the repatriation process through its Abidjan office and committed $100,000 toward preserving and publicly showcasing the drum following its homecoming.
"All of Ivory Coast is ready to welcome it," Remarck said during the ceremony in Paris. Dati said she was "extremely moved" by the "return of this symbol" that is "finally coming back to its homeland."
The repatriation arrives at a time of intensifying debate across Europe regarding the moral and legal standing of colonial-era collections still held in Western institutions. The momentum traces back to 2017, when French President Emmanuel Macron publicly committed to expediting the return of African artifacts held by former colonial powers — a pledge that gained tangible form in late 2021, when France repatriated 26 royal treasures looted from the palace of Abomey to Benin.
UNESCO emphasized that the return of the Djidji Ayokwe represents meaningful progress in the broader effort to right historical wrongs, while deepening cultural and diplomatic bonds between Africa and its former colonial rulers.
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