ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — In a landmark ceremony symbolizing post-colonial reconciliation, France has officially repatriated the sacred Djidji Ayôkwé drum to Ivory Coast, marking the first such restitution between the nations. The massive carved wooden artifact, looted by French colonial authorities in 1916, was received Friday at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport amid emotional celebrations.
The drum, measuring 11.5 feet long and weighing approximately 950 pounds, served as a vital communication tool for the Atchan people of the Abidjan region. Historians note its critical historical role in warning villages about forced labor recruitment during colonial occupation. Its name translates to “panther-lion” in the local language.
This restitution forms part of French President Emmanuel Macron’s broader initiative launched in 2018 to return cultural artifacts to African nations. The effort followed a comprehensive academic report recommending such repatriations. Last year, the French Parliament passed special legislation enabling the drum’s removal from national collections.
The process involved meticulous coordination with Atchan traditional leaders, who traveled to Paris to perform sacred rituals lifting the drum’s spiritual status for restoration and transport. Ivory Coast Culture Minister Françoise Remarck characterized the event as “a historic day and a moment of justice and remembrance.”
The artifact will now undergo a month-long acclimatization process in a controlled environment to gradually adjust from Paris’s dry climate to Abidjan’s tropical humidity, preventing damage to the centuries-old wood. It is scheduled for public display in April at the newly renovated Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan.
This return represents one of at least 140 artifacts Ivory Coast has formally requested from France, signaling a growing movement among European nations to address colonial-era cultural appropriations.