Abidjan, Ivory Coast – France has returned a sacred talking drum taken during the colonial era to Ivory Coast, more than a century after it was seized by French forces.
The cultural artefact, known as the Djidji Ayôkwé, was originally taken in 1916 and later transported to France in 1929, where it was displayed in museums in Paris.
Okay News reports that the historic drum recently arrived in Abidjan, where members of the Ebrié community welcomed its return.
Carved from iroko wood and measuring over three metres in length, the drum traditionally served as a communication tool used to warn communities of danger, summon villagers for ceremonies, and mobilise people during wartime.
Ivory Coast’s Culture Minister, Françoise Remarck, described the return as a historic moment of justice and remembrance for the country. The drum is the first of 148 cultural artefacts that Ivory Coast is seeking to recover from foreign collections as part of growing efforts to reclaim African heritage taken during colonial rule.
