France to return sacred Ivorian drum looted during colonial era
The sacred object, known as the Djidji Ayôkwé, once belonged to the Ébrié people.
The French Parliament has approved the return of a revered royal drum to Ivory Coast, more than a century after it was seized by colonial forces in 1916.
The sacred object, known as the Djidji Ayôkwé, once belonged to the Ébrié people and served as a “talking drum” used to relay warnings and messages across their communities. Its cultural and spiritual significance remains profound.
France currently holds 148 cultural items belonging to Ivory Coast. The country formally requested their repatriation in 2018. After years of diplomatic lobbying, the French National Assembly voted in early July to remove the drum from national museum collections, following approval from the Senate in April.
President Emmanuel Macron had pledged in 2021 to return the drum, a move that was hailed by Ébrié community leader Clavaire Aguego Mobio.
The decision adds momentum to growing demands across Africa for the return of looted cultural heritage.
In Kenya, calls for restitution have intensified, with the National Museums of Kenya leading efforts to reclaim sacred regalia from the Maasai, Kikuyu, and coastal communities many of which are held in European institutions.
Advocacy has also targeted the return of stolen archives, manuscripts, and spiritual objects from Britain, Germany, and France. Some progress has been made in recent years, institutions in the US including the California State University and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science returned vigango, the sacred wooden statues of the Mijikenda.
Yet locally, promises have faltered. Former Gender and Culture CS nominee Stella Lang’at Soi had vowed to prioritize repatriation efforts during her vetting. Her brief time in office yielded no concrete action, and her successor, CS Hanna Cheptumo, has yet to make progress.
According to the International Inventories Programme a joint initiative between the National Museums of Kenya and German partners—over 30,000 Kenyan artefacts remain housed in museums and private collections across the UK, France, Germany, and the US.
These include ceremonial masks, warrior shields, traditional clothing, human remains, and ritual tools.
Cultural experts say restitution is not only about returning objects, but about restoring identity, dignity, and memory key steps in decolonizing museum spaces and achieving cultural justice.
