French Parliament Approves Return of Sacred Talking Drum to Ivory Coast

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

The French National Assembly has voted to return the sacred Djidji Ayôkwé drum to Ivory Coast, a significant step in the repatriation of colonial-era artifacts. The vote, which follows a similar decision by the French Senate in April, confirms that the historical artifact will be declassified and transferred to Abidjan.

The drum, known as a “talking drum” due to its use in transmitting messages over long distances between villages, was taken by the French army in 1916 during the colonial period. Weighing 530 kilograms and measuring three meters in length, the drum was restored in 2022 after Ivory Coast formally requested its return in 2019.

This move comes six years after Ivory Coast’s official request, and is part of France’s broader efforts to address its colonial past by returning stolen cultural treasures. However, France’s process of restitution has been criticized for being slow, with only 27 artifacts having been returned to former colonies to date, including pieces sent back to Benin and Senegal.

The drum’s return marks the end of its century-long exile in French museums, though a specific timeline for its delivery to Ivory Coast has yet to be determined.