The Kotto River (or Koto River) is a tributary of the

Oubangui River The Ubangi River (), also spelled Oubangui, is the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River in the region of Central Africa. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m3/s) and Uele Rivers (mean annual discharge ...

in the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

. Its source is on the south side of the Bongo Massif, near Mount Toussoro on the border between the

and

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. It flows generally north-east to south-west for past Bria, joining the

Ubangi River The Ubangi River (), also spelled Oubangui, is the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River in the region of Central Africa. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m3/s) and Uele Rivers (mean annual discharge ...

east of

Mobaye Mobaye is a settlement with a population of 7,176 (2003 census) in the Basse-Kotto prefecture of Central African Republic. It lies on the Ubangi River. History On 8 February 2013 Mobaye was captured by Séléka rebels. In September 2019 Mobay ...

. The river separates the Tondou Massif from the Mongos chain to the north. There are several rapids along its course. The Kotto River gives its name to two of the Central African Republic's sixteen prefectures,

Haute-Kotto Haute-Kotto is one of the 16 prefectures of the Central African Republic. Its capital is Bria. It is the largest prefecture in the Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in C ...

and

Basse-Kotto Basse-Kotto is one of the 16 and the least populated prefecture of the Central African Republic. Its capital is Mobaye Mobaye is a settlement with a population of 7,176 (2003 census) in the Basse-Kotto prefecture of Central African Republic. ...

. Canot à vapeur dans la Kotto.jpg, Steamboat on the Kotto. Traversée de la Boungou, Hte-Kotto.jpg, Crossing of the Boungou, a right tributary.

References

Rivers of the Central African Republic Tributaries of the Ubangi River {{CentralAfricanRepublic-river-stub