Ivory Coast Celebrates Return of Sacred Talking Drum

Ivory Coast has officially received the Djidji Ayokwe talking drum, a significant cultural artefact looted by French colonial troops in 1916. Weighing approximately 430 kilogrammes and measuring three metres in length, the drum was welcomed by the Ebrie community during ceremonies coinciding with the country’s national independence celebrations.

The drum was handed over to Ivory Coast in February 2023 and returned in March aboard a specially chartered aircraft, remaining in a crate until its public display on Friday. The drum was paraded in a glass-fronted case through Yopougon district in Abidjan before being taken to Adjame, its original community.

Culture Minister Francoise Remarck, traditional leaders, and hundreds of residents participated in the welcoming ceremony, which included a traditional libation ceremony. The return of the Djidji Ayokwe is part of a broader campaign initiated in 2018 for the repatriation of 148 cultural objects taken during the colonial era.

The drum will be displayed at the Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan, which has been renovated for this purpose.