The item, a large ceremonial talking drum known as the Djidji Ayôkwé, arrived in Abidjan on Friday. The drum was received at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport by government officials and traditional leaders.
The instrument originally belonged to the Atchan people of the Abidjan region. It was taken by French colonial authorities in 1916 and later kept in a museum collection in France for more than a century.
Ivory Coast’s Minister of Culture, Françoise Remarck, described the return as a historic moment for the country, saying it represents justice and recognition of the nation’s cultural heritage.
The wooden drum is about 11 and a half feet long and weighs close to 950 pounds. In the past, it was used by communities to send messages between villages and to warn people during times of danger, including during the colonial period when forced labour recruitment took place.
The return is part of a wider initiative by the French government to give back cultural artifacts taken from African nations during colonial rule. French President Emmanuel Macron first announced the plan in 2018, following recommendations from researchers who studied the issue.
Before the drum was transported, traditional Atchan leaders travelled to Paris to perform cultural rites to allow the sacred object to be moved.
Community leaders in Ivory Coast say the drum’s return carries deep cultural meaning, describing it as the recovery of an important piece of their history.
Experts say the artifact will remain in a controlled environment for about a month to allow the wood adjust from Europe’s dry climate to the humid conditions in Abidjan.
After that process, the drum is expected to be displayed publicly at the newly renovated Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan.
