France has officially returned the Djidji Ayôkwé talking drum to Côte d'Ivoire, in a ceremony held in Paris on Friday, February 20, 2026. This instrument, a ritual and warrior pillar of the Atchan people, had been confiscated in 1916 by French colonists.
The restitution ceremony took place at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. The Ivorian Minister of Culture, Françoise Remarck, and her French counterpart, Rachida Dati, signed the instrument's transfer of ownership. This drum, weighing over 400 kilos and almost four meters long, a symbol of social cohesion and fraternity, returns to its country of origin, 110 years after its disappearance.
The Djidji Ayôkwé is much more than just a musical instrument. Carved from an iroko tree trunk, it measures 3.30 meters long and weighs approximately 430 kg. It was used to transmit ritual messages and alert populations, particularly during forced recruitment or military conscription operations. The colonial authorities considered it a strategic tool for communication and resistance. In 1916, during a punitive expedition, the French authorities seized it in Adjamé in order to break the resistance of the Atchan people.
The restitution of the Djidji Ayôkwé is the culmination of a process initiated in 2019 by Abidjan and made possible by the passage of a special law in France in July 2025. Upon its return, the drum will be the centerpiece of the Museum of Civilizations of Côte d'Ivoire, which is scheduled to open this year in Abidjan. Designed in partnership with the Parisian museum, the institution intends to promote the transmission and promotion of Ivorian cultural heritage.
Côte d'Ivoire is still claiming 147 cultural properties. Before Côte d'Ivoire, France had already returned art objects looted during colonization to Benin. UNESCO has allocated $100,000 to support the enhancement and promotion of the talking drum.
The return of the Djidji Ayôkwé marks an important step in the restitution of African cultural property seized during colonization. It symbolizes the complex link between memory, heritage and identity. The restitution of this sacred drum is an act of justice and a victory over oblivion, according to Silvie Memel Kassi, former director of the Museum of Civilizations of Côte d'Ivoire.
The Djidji Ayôkwé drum, more than just a musical instrument, is once again a sacred emblem of Ébrié identity.
