Senegal’s Union of Magistrates (UMS) has declined a meeting with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, citing his refusal to retract controversial comments made about the judiciary.

The move follows Sonko’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision upholding his defamation conviction, which sparked criticism from the legal community. His remarks on July 1 were labeled “inappropriate” by the union.

Although one of Sonko’s advisors, with the prime minister’s blessing, sought reconciliation, UMS maintains that a meeting is impossible without a public retraction.

The standoff adds tension to an already strained relationship between Senegal’s executive and judicial branches.