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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

France returns a sacred drum looted during the colonial era to Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast France Looted Artifact - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

France returned a sacred talking drum looted during the colonial period to Ivory Coast on Friday as part of a nearly decade-old effort by the French government to return cultural artifacts to African nations.

It was the first such return by France to Ivory Coast, and was part of a broader campaign among European and Western governments to return treasured objects after decades of resistance.

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