Ivory Coast has received the sacred Djidji Ayokwe talking drum, more than a century after it was looted by French colonial troops, marking a significant milestone in efforts to reclaim African cultural heritage.
The three-metre-long wooden drum, which weighs about 430 kilogrammes, was welcomed by its home community on Friday during ceremonies held alongside Ivory Coast’s national independence celebrations.
The Djidji Ayokwe belonged to the Ebrie community and was traditionally used to transmit messages, warn residents of danger, call people to war and summon villagers to important ceremonies.
The artefact was officially handed over to Ivory Coast in February and returned to the country in March aboard a specially chartered aircraft. It remained inside a large wooden crate until Friday, when it was publicly displayed for the first time.
The drum was transported in a glass-fronted case on a decorated float during a military parade through Yopougon district in Abidjan before being taken to Adjame, the community where it was originally made.
Ivory Coast’s Minister of Culture, Francoise Remarck, traditional leaders and hundreds of residents gathered to welcome the artefact. A traditional libation ceremony was also held in honour of ancestors.
Adjame Mayor Farikou Soumahoro described the return as a moment of “great pride,” stressing that preserving cultural heritage remained essential to national development.
The Djidji Ayokwe was seized by French colonial authorities in 1916 and transported to Europe in 1929, where it was displayed in Paris for decades.
Ivory Coast formally requested its return in 2018 as part of a broader campaign for the repatriation of 148 cultural objects removed during the colonial period.
The drum is expected to be displayed at the Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan, which has been specially renovated to house the historic artefact.
Its return forms part of a growing movement across Africa to recover cultural treasures taken during the colonial era. Countries such as Senegal and Benin have also sought the return of significant artefacts held in foreign museums and collections.
Africanews
