ota, also called Mahongwe, is a language spoken by the Bakota people, some 40-50,000 of whom live along the border that runs between Gabon and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). In Gabon, most inhabit the provinces of Ogooué-Ivindo and Haut-Ogooué, while in Congo-Brazzaville most are in the north of the country, near Kelle and Mbomo, or in the southeast. Ikota is classified by linguists as a Northwest Bantu language of zone B, within Africa's massive Niger-Congo language family. ELA has worked in depth with one Mahongwé woman from Mekambo now living in the city, Sefiyatou Dvorak, who was living on Roosevelt Island at the time. Read more here.