Traditional groups perform beside the Djidji Ayokwe, also known as the “talking drum,” during an official presentation to residents of Adjame village in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on August 7, 2026.

The sacred drum, looted by French colonial troops in 1916, has returned to Ivory Coast after more than a century in France.

The three-metre-long, 430-kilogramme instrument was carried through Abidjan in a military parade before being taken to Adjame, where it was originally made.

Used by the Ebrie people to warn of danger, call villagers to war and summon them for ceremonies, the drum was welcomed by Culture Minister Francoise Remarck, traditional leaders and hundreds of residents.

The Djidji Ayokwe was officially handed over to Ivory Coast in February and arrived in the country in March, marking the latest return of African cultural artefacts taken during the colonial era.

It is expected to go on display at the renovated Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan.