Ivory Coast sees looted talking drum returned by France

The Djidji Ayokwe, a sacred talking drum looted by French colonial troops in 1916, arrived back in its home village in Ivory Coast on Friday and was shown publicly to Ivorians for the first time.

The ceremony took place on Ivory Coast's national independence day holiday. The wooden drum, more than three metres long and weighing 430 kilogrammes, was used by the Ebrie tribe to send messages.

The drum was officially handed over in February and returned to Ivory Coast in March on a specially chartered plane, but it had remained inside a large wooden crate. On Friday, it was carried in a military parade through the Yopougon district of Abidjan before going to Adjame, the village where it was made.

The black, white and red instrument was transported in a glass-fronted case on a decorated float. Culture Minister Francoise Remarck, traditional leaders and hundreds of residents welcomed it, and a libation ceremony was held as an offering to ancestors.

Ivory Coast asked in late 2018 for the return of the Djidji Ayokwe among 148 works taken during the colonial period. The drum was seized by French colonial authorities in 1916, shipped to Europe in 1929 and exhibited in Paris for decades.

It is due to go on display at the Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan, which has been specially renovated. Senegal and Benin have also asked for the repatriation of cultural treasures.