It is impossible to write a comprehensive report on the condition of archives throughout the Republic of Zaire, for documents are not stored in national or centralized archives. For example, in Shaba Region (ex-Katanga Province), documents are kept in various bureaux at Lubumbashi. At subordinate territorial levels like the sous-region (ex-district) and zone (ex-territoire), documents are tucked away in cabinets, work rooms, and closets at their administrative centers. It is difficult to plan the time to be spent in archives in advance, for there seems to be no middle ground in their condition. Either they are in good order with documents neatly bundled in labeled file folders, or they are a complete shambles with most documents missing or stored in unclassified heaps on some shelves or on the floor. It is difficult to anticipate which archive will be in good order. There is no reason to assume that an archive in an urban center will be in better shape than an archive at an infrequently visited rural poste or vice versa. The only generalization that can be made is that an archive in Shaba Region which has been properly maintained will be a rich depository of documents. The Belgian colonial administration contained more European personnel than the administration of any other colonial power, and the paperwork produced by this bureaucracy was substantial. When the Belgians departed, they left a legacy of correspondence, reports, procès-verbaux, inquiries, etc., dating from as early as 1907, which can still be found in the little-used archives of Shaba.