Election trouble in the dark continent.

Hey all, often most news coverage in America revolves around domestic issues, or if it’s coverage of international news most of it deals with the negative coverage of the war on terror. I want to know why issues aren’t regarding Africa even discussed.
Zimbabwe just held its most current election. This country has struggled through a cycle of violence for a long time. Reports last month starting surfacing about attacks on individuals who had enough guts to vote against Robert Mugabe. Mugabe a self proclaimed hero has ruled over Zimbabwe since 1987 according to an article published by the BBC. People were targeted if they decided to vote against Mr. Mugabe during the run off election. The candidate who had to back down from being part of the ballot Morgan Tsvangirai after accepting defeat based on not having the opportunity to have his name on the ballot said "We in the MDC have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent,
Illegitimate ... sham of an election process.”
I find it sad for individuals not to have the chance who their government officials are. One of my concerns also derives from the individuals who control all of the resources available in countries like Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe in their home page states that 30 deposits of various minerals exist throughout the numerous regions of Zimbabwe. Also, their close proximity to other naturally rich countries makes them a great trading ally. My biggest concern is that these countries are highly neglected, and this can potentially create a national security problem for the United States. Somalia another African country already proved this point once. The idea some individuals of attacking the West as a way of compensating for most Zimbabwean’s impoverish state could be fatal. Also, it’s difficult to reach out to many African natives as some organizations like the UN only threaten sanctions against violent dictators without really doing anything about it like Sudan.
Do you believe that establishing a more democratic Africa would benefit us? Should we care about events like the Zimbabwe election since many already chastise America as practicing “big brother” policies? James.