France has officially handed over the sacred Djidji Ayokwe talking drum to Côte d’Ivoire in a historic restitution ceremony in Paris, marking the return of the cultural artefact more than 110 years after it was seized during the colonial era.
The ceremony on 20 February 2026 took place at the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, where French Culture Minister Rachida Dati and her Ivorian counterpart Françoise Remarck signed the official transfer of ownership of the drum — a symbol of spiritual and communal communication used by the Ébrié people.
The Djidji Ayokwe — weighing about 430 kg and over three metres long — was taken by French colonial troops from Ébrié territory in 1916 and later displayed in Paris. It was historically used to transmit ritual messages and warnings over long distances among villages.
Minister Remarck describes the return as deeply emotional for her country, saying that the drum’s return “finally brings this symbol back to its homeland.” The instrument is slated to be exhibited permanently in a new museum in Abidjan, currently under construction.
The restitution follows years of diplomatic engagement. Côte d’Ivoire first made an official request in 2019, and French lawmakers passed specific legislation in 2025 allowing the drum to be removed from public museum collections — an exception to France’s usual inalienability rules for cultural property. This transfer is part of a broader wave of artefact restitutions from European museums to former colonies.
For Ivorians, the drum is far more than an artefact: it is a symbol of identity, memory, and cultural continuity for the Ébrié community and the wider nation. Plans are underway for a nationwide celebration in Abidjan upon its physical arrival.