Should "janjaweed" be listed in the dictionary?

In 2004, I wrote Merriam-Webster the following comment. Associate Editor, Kory L. Stamper, replied as follows.

Q: I’d like to suggest Merriam-Webster include “janjaweed” in its collegiate dictionary.

A: We only enter general vocabulary words, and at this point “janjaweed” is too specific to be entered as a general vocabulary word. Though I have run across it quite often in my reading and marking, it always refers to the government-backed Sudanese militias that are slaughtering and raping their way across Darfur. In this sense, it is like the word “Hizzbolah” or “al Qaeda”—it refers to a specific group of people acting within a specific time-frame and conflict.

Another lexicographical clue that “janjaweed” is not considered a general vocabulary term is that it is almost always glossed within the text. If “janjaweed,” like the word “Nazi,” gains an extended sense that lifts it from its very specific context, then we will consider that extended sense for entry.

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