France returns sacred ‘talking drum’ looted during colonial rule to Ivory Coast
A sacred drum looted by French forces during their colonial rule in Ivory Coast has been returned to the country, more than a century after its capture.
It was seized by the colonial authorities in 1916 before being transferred to France in 1929, where it was exhibited at the Trocadéro museum then at the Quai Branly museum in Paris.
The Djidji Ayôkwé (Panther Lion), as the talking drum is called, was welcomed into his home by members of the Ebrié community, its first owners. It is over three meters (10 feet) long, weighs approximately 430 kg (68 stone) and is carved from iroko wood.
The return is part of a broader French effort to repatriate African cultural objects, a process that began in 2017.
It arrived on a specially chartered plane but was not removed from its large wooden crate marked “fragile”.
A group of traditional dancers and several local chiefs were at Abidjan international airport to receive him.
“It’s a historic day with a lot of emotions,” Ivorian Culture Minister Françoise Remarck told the BBC.
“We are experiencing a moment of justice and memory which finally marks the return of the Djidji Ayôkwé to their land of origin.”
Francis Tagro, director of the Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan, said the drum would be exhibited “in a place of honor in the heart of the national museum.”
“We are deeply happy and proud to receive this sacred drum. It means so much to us, it will uplift the sense of culture of the younger generation,” he told the BBC.
A central piece of Ebrié heritage, the talking drum was traditionally used to warn of danger, mobilize people for war and summon villages to ceremonies. This ethnic group is based in Abidjan, the largest city in Ivory Coast.
The drum was officially returned by Paris on February 20 after the French Parliament passed a special law authorizing its return.
The talking drum is the first object in a list of 148 works that Ivory Coast is seeking to repatriate from France and other countries.
France has already returned part of the royal treasures of Abomey to Benin and a historic saber to Senegal.
As demands for the restitution of former colonies multiply, the French Senate adopted a framework law on January 29 aimed at facilitating the removal of objects from the colonial era from French national collections.
The bill is expected to be discussed soon in the National Assembly.
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