Traditional chiefs wearing crowns and gold chains gathered at the main airport in Ivory Coast on Friday to welcome the return of a historic “talking drum” that had been looted more than a century ago. The artifact marks the first cultural object returned to the West African nation by its former colonial power, France.
The drum, known as “Djidji Ayokwè”—meaning Panther-Lion in the Atchan language—is more than three meters long and weighs nearly 400 kilograms, according to the country’s culture ministry.
Historically used by the Atchan people of southern Ivory Coast, the drum served as a communication tool. It was used to alert communities about forced labor operations carried out by colonial authorities and to mobilize local fighters.
Before its return, the artifact had been displayed at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. The Ivorian culture ministry has been seeking the restitution of 148 artifacts from France, with the talking drum becoming the first to be returned.
The drum was confiscated in 1916 and initially kept at the governor’s palace in Abidjan before being sent to France in 1930.
“This is a historic day, and I am deeply moved,” said Françoise Remarck, Ivory Coast’s minister of culture and Francophonie, during a ceremony marked by traditional songs and war dances.
In recent years, pressure has grown on former colonial powers such as France and United Kingdom to return cultural artifacts taken from Africa and Asia during the colonial era.
Wearing a traditional loincloth, Atchan village chief Gervais Djoman said the return of the talking drum was a moment of pride for his community.
“We are reclaiming our identity. Psychologically, something had been taken from us,” he told Reuters.