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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/13/france-returns-sacred-djidji-ayokwe-talking-drum-looted-from-cote-divoire>
"A sacred artefact looted by French colonial authorities more than a century
ago has been returned to Côte d’Ivoire in one of the most significant cultural
restitutions to a former French colony in years.
The Djidji Ayôkwé, a talking drum confiscated in 1916 by French administrators,
landed at 8.45am on Friday at the airport in Port Bouët on the outskirts of the
economic capital, Abidjan. It was handed over to Ivorian officials in Paris
earlier this month after being removed from the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
Museum.
Aboussou Guy Mobio, the chief of the Adjamé-Bingerville community, said: “After
a long stay away from this land, it is returning to its own people and it is an
honour for us and a relief to welcome it,. This is the missing piece of the
puzzle that is returning today … Receiving this sacred instrument is a relief,
but it is also another form of connection with our ancestors who were very
close to this instrument.”
Talking drums are hourglass-shaped pressure drums designed to mimic the tone,
pitch and rhythm of human speech. The 4-metre Djidji Ayôkwé, which weighs
430kg, held cultural and political significance to the Ebrié people – after
whom the lagoon in Abidjan is named – as a symbol of resistance. Before and
during colonial times, it was used to send messages over several miles to
announce deaths or celebrations – and in some cases, alert villages about
coming danger. After villagers resisted forced labour on a road in one incident
in 1916, colonial authorities seized it and took it away to France.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, promised to return the drum in 2021, but
it took four years of discussions and lobbying for the French parliament to
ratify and approve the decision.
“I feel deep emotion. We are indeed experiencing a moment of justice and
remembrance,” Françoise Remarck, the minister of culture and Francophonie in
Côte d’Ivoire, said in her speech on Friday. She thanked President Alassane
Ouattara and Macron for what she called “a historic day”.
Then she addressed the drum, saying: “Djidji Ayôkwé, today your return is a
message for our youth who have chosen to reclaim their history, and for the
communities … a symbol of social cohesion, peace and dialogue … 13 March is
just one step.”"
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
