Angolan security and criminal investigation restructuring

Angolan President João Lourenço issued Presidential Decree No. 162/26 to restructure the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), which included revoking the 2018 decree that established a specific Directorate for Combating Corruption Crimes. While legal experts maintain that the SIC retains its competence to investigate financial and fiscal crimes, the move coincided with reports of internal friction. General João Pereira Massano, head of the Military Intelligence and Security Service (SISM), reportedly criticized the administration’s leadership, describing certain governance choices as “institutional disorder” and expressing concerns regarding the rule of law.

Following these structural changes, the SIC held its ninth Expanded Consultative Council in Luanda to address crime prevention. Although national crime statistics showed a decrease in recorded crimes between January and September, Luanda remains the province with the highest number of criminal occurrences. Interior Minister Manuel Homem urged the SIC to transition from reactive measures to proactive threat anticipation and improved intelligence production. SIC Director-General Luciano Tânio da Silva noted that high crime rates in the capital are linked to demographic growth, advocating for increased investigative capacity and technological innovation.