Cote d'Ivoire: Ivorian Drum, Looted By France, Goes On Display for First Time At Home

What the report says

A sacred Ivorian “talking drum” known as the Djidji Ayokwe has been put on public view in its home village in Côte d’Ivoire for the first time since its return from France. According to RFI, the drum was taken by French colonial troops in 1916, later shipped to Europe, and officially handed back in February before arriving in Côte d’Ivoire in March. It had remained inside a crate until this week’s ceremony.

The display took place on Friday and coincided with Côte d’Ivoire’s Independence Day holiday. The drum was carried through Abidjan’s Yopougon district in a military parade before being taken to Adjame, the village where it was made. Local residents, traditional leaders and Culture Minister Françoise Remarck attended the event, which included a libation ritual honoring ancestors.

The article says the Djidji Ayokwe is more than a musical instrument: the Ebrié community used it to send warnings, summon people to ceremonies and announce danger or war. The drum, described as more than three metres long and weighing 430 kilogrammes, is due to be displayed at the renovated Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan. Its return forms part of a broader debate over the repatriation of African cultural objects taken during the colonial era, with several countries seeking the return of artefacts from European collections.