Looted Sacred Drum Returns to Home Village in Ivory Coast

The Djidji Ayokwe sacred talking drum returned to its home village in Côte d'Ivoire on Friday, Aug. 9, for its first public display ^[1].

The return marks a significant step in the restoration of cultural heritage for Ivorian villagers and a broader effort by France to address colonial-era thefts.

French colonial troops looted the drum in 1916 ^[1]. The instrument is a massive piece of cultural history, measuring over three meters in length ^[3] and weighing 430 kilograms ^[3]. For over a century, the object remained in France until the Ivorian government formally requested its return in late 2018 [2, 4].

The French government repatriated the drum in March 2026 [1, 2]. While the repatriation occurred earlier this year, the drum only reached its specific home village this week ^[1]. Local authorities and villagers gathered on Friday to view the artifact for the first time since it left their soil, an event that concludes a years-long diplomatic process.

The repatriation is part of a wider French policy to return cultural objects taken during the colonial era to their countries of origin [2, 4]. The Djidji Ayokwe is one of several high-profile artifacts being returned as France acknowledges the illicit nature of colonial acquisitions.

Local officials said the drum's presence in the village restores a vital link to the community's ancestral history. The object is now being held and displayed within the community where it was originally crafted and used before the 1916 seizure ^[1].