Issa was born in 1921 in the southern town of
Afgooye. Nicknamed "Bidaar", Issa later relocated to the port of
Merca at the age of sixteen, where he would work as a postal clerk from 1939 to 1941. He thereafter returned to Mogadishu and assumed a position in the Department of Economic Affairs. Following the British military occupation of
Somalia in the early 1940s, Issa was relieved from his duties. He then embarked on a business career. He quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the party's leaders. In 1948, he was appointed to the SYL's central committee, and eventually as its Secretary-General. In this capacity, he took part in many international conventions, in particular the
United Nations General Assembly and the conferences in
Addis Abeba, among other cities. With the conclusion of the general election of March 1964, Issa returned to the National Assembly as an SYL deputy for
Beledweyne. A few years later, the
Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) seized power. The new military government subsequently appointed Issa as Somalia's Ambassador to
Sweden in 1974. He held the position until early 1983, when he resigned from public office after a long career in politics. Issa spent his retirement years in
Rome, Italy. He died there in March 1988, and was transported to Mogadishu for burial. ==See also==