Sacred talking drum looted by France in 1916 returns to Ivory Coast after 110 years

The Djidji Ayokwe, a 950-pound talking drum sacred to the Atchan people of Ivory Coast, was presented in Adjamé on 7 August 2026. French colonial troops seized it in 1916. France's parliament authorised restitution in July 2025; formal handover followed on 20 February. It is the first artifact France has repatriated to Ivory Coast, per Reuters. The drum enters the National Museum of Civilizations of Côte d'Ivoire.