France Repatriates Sacred Drum to Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast—France repatriated a sacred talking drum looted during its colonial era to Ivory Coast on Friday, marking the first such return of a cultural artifact to the West African nation and advancing a broader international push to restore looted heritage to African countries.

The Djidji Ayôkwé, a massive carved wooden drum sacred to the Ebrié people of the Abidjan region, arrived at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport aboard a specially chartered plane. Measuring about 3.5 meters long and weighing approximately 430 kilograms, the drum—whose name translates to "panther-lion"—was seized by French colonial authorities in 1916 after villagers used it to warn against forced labor recruitment. It was shipped to France in 1929 and later displayed at the Trocadéro Museum before moving to the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. Historians note that the instrument, made from iroko wood, served as a vital communication tool, mimicking human speech to relay messages across villages about dangers, ceremonies, or mobilization for war.

The handover in Paris occurred on February 20, following approval by the French Parliament of a special law allowing the drum's removal from...