Law of 16 July 2025 on the Restitution of a Cultural Property to the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

This French law authorizes the transfer of legal ownership of the 'Djidji Ayôkwê' talking drum from the French state to the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. The drum is currently held at the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris, where it has been stored as part of the national collections. The Djidji Ayôkwê is a sacred ceremonial object of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Atchan (Adjoukrou) community of Côte d'Ivoire. Its repatriation has been a long-standing demand of that community, and in 2019 the Ivorian government formally requested its return through official diplomatic channels. This legislation follows the landmark 2021 framework law on the restitution of cultural heritage from French public collections, which established the legal basis for such transfers. It represents one of several individual laws required to authorize the deaccessioning of specific objects from French national museums, as items in these collections are normally inalienable under French law. The law is part of a broader French policy shift toward repatriating African cultural heritage, accelerated by the 2018 Sarr-Savoy report commissioned by President Macron, which recommended the return of thousands of African objects held in French institutions.

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