France returns sacred 'talking drum' looted during colonial rule to Ivory Coast

The move forms part of a broader process of returning cultural artefacts to African countries that started in 2017.‎

France returned the Djidji Ayôkwé, a sacred talking drum looted in 1916, to Ivory Coast as part of a broader campaign to repatriate cultural artifacts. The drum, used by the Atchan people for long-distance communication, will be displayed at the Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan.

France has handed over the Djidji Ayôkwé 'talking drum' to Côte d'Ivoire after it was looted by colonial troops in 1916. This marks another step in the country's wider repatriation of stolen artefacts. The three-metre-long drum was once used by the Ebrie tribe to send messages.

In a ceremony held at the Musée Quai Branly in Paris, France officially returned the Djidji Ayôkwé 'talking drum' to the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. The ten-foot-long, 940-pound drum was used by the Ebrie tribe to transmit messages and was seized by French authorities in 1916.