Ivorian Ancestral Talking Drum Returned by France Unveiled in Abidjan

France returned the Djidji Ayôkwé, a 3.3‑metre, 430‑kg sacred talking drum looted from the Ebrié community in 1916. The drum, the first of 148 objects repatriated under France's 2017 restitution programme, was unveiled to the Ivorian public on 7 August, Côte d'Ivoire's Independence Day. It led a military parade in Yopougon before being taken to its home village in the Adjamé district, where traditional chiefs, Minister of Culture Françoise Remarck, Mayor Farikou Soumahoro and hundreds of residents attended a ceremony that included libations and speeches celebrating the restoration of cultural memory.

The event marks a symbolic step in the broader process of returning colonial‑era artifacts to former colonies, highlighting the importance of heritage preservation for national identity.