
Ivory Coast Reclaims Sacred Talking Drum Looted in Colonial Rule
Ivory Coast welcomed back the sacred talking drum Djidji Ayôkwé, looted by French colonial authorities in 1916 and taken to France in 1929, arriving on a chartered plane and due to be displayed at Abidjan’s national museum as part of France’s broader restitution of colonial-era artefacts (Ivory Coast is pursuing 148 works). The handover follows French legislation aimed at easing returns of looted objects and marks a historic moment for Ebrié heritage.













